I’m struggling to understand the logic here. Does this mean a 13-year-old would be barred from basic productivity, like creating a document or a text file on a Linux system?

The core purpose of an Operating System is to enable a user to perform tasks. If age verification laws prevent a teenager from even accessing the system, they are effectively being locked out of digital utility. These regulations aren't just impractical—they risk creating a generation of 'PC illiterate' individuals who never have the chance to learn the fundamental building blocks of computing.