'A bit extreme', Latin American youth criticize Australian social media ban for under 16s

Record ID: 1859478

  • Title: 'A bit extreme', Latin American youth criticize Australian social media ban for under 16s
  • Date: 28th November 2024
  • Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (NOVEMBER 28, 2024) (REUTERS) TEENAGER SITTING IN PARK LOOKING AT HER MOBILE PHONE MOBILE PHONE HELD BY TEENAGER TEENAGERS SITTING IN PARK WITH THEIR MOBILE PHONES AND CHATTING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, KERSTEIN GOMEZ, SAYING: "It is true that there is content on social media that is not exactly content that teenagers should see, but despite that I think this measure is a bit extreme because it is limiting us all from what we can receive, the positive things we can receive from social media." VARIOUS OF TEENAGERS SITTING ON AVENUE CHECKING THEIR MOBILE PHONES VARIOUS OF TEENAGER WALKING WHILE CHECKING HER MOBILE PHONE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT, ERNESTO PEREZ, SAYING: "I have a very close friend who went through cyber harassment. Some close friends of his began to threaten him with stealing, attacking him, etc, and with my friend's experience I think the law implemented in Australia should be implemented in other countries of the world, including Cuba." VARIOUS OF TEENAGERS IN PARK CHECKING THEIR MOBILE PHONES BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (NOVEMBER 28, 2024) (REUTERS) LOGO OF RED PAPAZ, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN VARIOUS OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF RED PAPAZ , CAROLINA PINEROS OSPINA, IN HER OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF RED PAPAZ, CAROLINA PINEROS OSPINA, SAYING: “I think it is a result of the abuse that these platforms have made, it is a result of truly irresponsible, abusive, disrespectful behavior towards minors. For example, in Colombia, and the world, schools have started to say, do not bring devices to school because I do not have a way to take care of girls and boys within social networks.” RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (NOVEMBER 28, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TEENAGE STUDENT ARON CARVALHO AND SCHOOL FRIEND SCROLLING ON THEIR PHONES CARVALHO LOOKING AT MOBILE PHONE (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) STUDENT, ARON CARVALHO, SAYING: “I personally think it is wrong. This law should not be applied." JOURNALIST ASKING: "WHY?" " Because, precisely because of that, it's limiting children's access to something that they have a right to use in their daily life. It is something they can sometimes use to get help with their homework, to talk with a friend who lives far away, it is limiting that.” FAMILY SITTING ON BENCH (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) STUDENT, LUANE INES, SAYING: “If they were safe games, that's fine, but social networks are more dangerous, because someone can clone and ask for personal data of youths without them knowing it's dangerous.” YOUTH SCROLLING ON INSTAGRAM BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (NOVEMBER 28, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF RED PAPAZ, CAROLINA PINEROS OSPINA, AT INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF RED PAPAZ, CAROLINA PINEROS OSPINA, SAYING: “Social networks are becoming a complex problem for educators and families to manage, so I think we shouldn’t be surprised. It’s something similar, let’s say that for us at Red Papaz we find similarities to what happened, for example, with cigarettes, what happened with sugary drinks. There was an abuse, these companies find profit and they don't have limits.” BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (NOVEMBER 28, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF YOUNG RESIDENTS DRINKING YERBA MATE INFUSION IN PUBLIC SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RESIDENT, GUADALUPE MEZA, SAYING: “It's really a bit impossible to completely remove social networks from children under 16. The idea is good because I think they will be able to protect many people too, especially kids. But I don't think it's something possible to achieve a year from now, it's going to take a lot longer.” RESIDENTS TALKING TO EACH OTHER TATTOO ON YOUTH'S ARM (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) EMPLOYEE, DAIANA CAPELLETTI, SAYING: “A 13-year-old teenager is not going to accept not having a social network. Otherwise they're not going to know anything about life, we don't watch TV anymore.” YOUNG RESIDENTS TALKING TO EACH OTHER MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (NOVEMBER 28, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS SCROLLING ON THEIR MOBILE PHONES (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) STUDENT, ANDREA ANAYA, SAYING: “I feel that everything has to be done in stages or it is good to use them (social media platforms) but they should always be supervised by a tutor or a parent. I think this is what is often missing because parents don't know what their children are involved in." UNIVERSITY STUDENTS LOOKING AT MOBILE PHONES STUDENT USING MOBILE PHONE PEOPLE WALKING IN STREET
  • Embargoed: 12th December 2024 21:26
  • Keywords: australia opinion social media ban vox pop
  • Location: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
  • City: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
  • Country: Colombia
  • Topics: South America / Central America,Lawmaking,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001338728112024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Latin American youths on Thursday (November 28) expressed mixed feelings for the Australian ban on social media for children under 16.
    Australia approved a social media ban for children aged under 16 after an emotive debate that gripped the nation, setting a benchmark for jurisdictions around the world with one of the toughest regulations targeting Big Tech.
    “This measure is a bit extreme because it is limiting us all from what we can receive (from social media),” said Cuban high school student Kerstein Gomez in Havana.
    Meanwhile others, such as 11-year-old Brazilian student Luane Ines, said the law could help prevent online risks for naive minors.
    A number of countries have already vowed to curb social media use by children through legislation, but Australia's policy is the most stringent.
    For Carolina Pineros, the executive director of the Colombian nonprofit organization for the protection of children Red Papaz, the measure does not come as a surprise as she considers social networks are becoming a difficult problem for educators and families to manage.
    "These companies find profit and they don't have limits," said Pineros. "We find similarities to what happened, for example, with cigarettes, what happened with sugary drinks, which were abused."
    (Production: Alien Fernandez, Anett Rios, Herbert Villarraga, Sergio Queiroz, Juan Bustamante, Horacio Soria, Alberto Fajardo, Gloria Lopez)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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