TikTok Hokey Cokey

I've seen a number of social media posts since the hokey cokey TikTok saga from well-meaning individuals outside of the technology space who have propositioned that;  if we can turn TT off, then we can also “just” turn off websites dedicated to adult material (writing it this way to get though the filters) and other well meaning musings about social media in this way too.

It’s a great idea - but sadly is one that has two major issues adult content sites.

And, what we saw with the TikTok hokey cokey is two fold:

1. It won't work that way as website traffic and URL’s are more difficult to track or follow if they change; and they will if they think they are being targeted, and of course there’s more than the one website and biggest provider.
   Business is about contingency plans and its likely they have more up their sleeve than you know.
   
   
2. If we saw the move to rednote as quicky as we did when TT went AWOL for a few hours, then this goes to show the incredible nature of human beings who feel they need these spaces.

And this brings us to the issue of a social media ‘ban’...

IF we stop kids accessing social media in one lane they are going to switch quickly to another.

If the adults do this then the kids will follow too.

If the adults cannot live without their online connections then what makes us think that kids won’t either - who often have more emotionally invested in what they perceive to be friendships and connections online.

If rednote took off that quickly, then consider the wise cookies who will create and use other spaces currently not defined as social media.

Which is also an issue because who gets to decide what is or is not social media anyway... and lo and behold therein lies the issue about keeping the wise little cookies ‘out’ of these spaces.

Are we going to keep chasing them and stopping access to spaces each time they use them, and what about when they use educational settings and services like shared documents, with which to facilitate their connections in the arms race of adults versus child...

We cant “just” turn anything on or off online, and it shows that the non-tech-people social media posts that have appeared suggests they may not fully understand how technology works….. at the level of 0 and 1 and life is not that simple or binary. If it was we would be able to protect children by simple yes and no’s, and can and cant’s, and does and don’ts.

We need to help them navigate the world which includes through technological spaces because between the 0 and 1 is an infinitesimal distance of ‘maybe’ ...this grey area is where I sit in being what’s called a guardian of the grey.

The unknown and the unknown knowns, and as I’m highlighting here the known knowns of child developmental behaviour and how this presents in behaviours through and with technology, and I know which lane I’m placing my bets in.

So how do we protect children?

We educate all of us in this space and we support parents - not demonise them or terrorise them with hype and hysteria...that makes people angry, scared and they run away from the issue.

This is happening writ large right now and I can understand why. I would want to run from Goliath if I had no sling shots or arrows.

Reach out - as I provide supportive spaces for parents, for professionals and to help you understand our behaviours on, though and with technology.

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