James Czerniawski - Should Kids Be Banned From Social Media?

from The Curious Task · host Institute for Liberal Studies

Matt speaks with James Czerniawski about proposed bans on children using social media and AI, exploring concerns around mental health, digital literacy, free speech, privacy, and the consequences of regulation. James argues that while online harms are real, outright bans are ineffective and often counterproductive, advocating instead for parental awareness, digital literacy, and a more optimistic approach to AI. References James’ website: https://jamesczerniawski.com/ James’ author page at the Consumer Choice Center: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/author/james/ The UK Online Safety Act: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer Institute for Family Studies: Digital Parent Toolkit: https://ifstudies.org/blog/new-tools-to-help-parents-navigate-teens-social-media-use The Twitter Files: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter_Files COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act): https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/childrens-online-privacy-protection-rule-coppa Thanks to Our Patrons Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald. To support The Curious Task, visit: https://patreon.com/curioustask

What this episode covers

Matt speaks with James Czerniawski about proposed bans on children using social media and AI, exploring concerns around mental health, digital literacy, free speech, privacy, and the consequences of regulation. James argues that while online harms are real, outright bans are ineffective and often counterproductive, advocating instead for parental awareness, digital literacy, and a more optimistic approach to AI. References James’ website: https://jamesczerniawski.com/ James’ author page at the Consumer Choice Center: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/author/james/ The UK Online Safety Act: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer Institute for Family Studies: Digital Parent Toolkit: https://ifstudies.org/blog/new-tools-to-help-parents-navigate-teens-social-media-use The Twitter Files: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter_Files COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act): https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/childrens-online-privacy-protection-rule-coppa Thanks to Our Patrons Thanks to our patrons, including Kris Rondolo, Amy Willis, and Christopher McDonald.To support The Curious Task, visit:https://patreon.com/curioustask