The little plastic castle is a surprise every time.
(Probably an obscure reference, but a fantastic song.)
Australia - The Land Down Under
- Thread starter Condobloke
- Start date
The little plastic castle is a surprise every time.
(Probably an obscure reference, but a fantastic song.)
late 90's i think, cant remember who the artist was
Little Plastic Castle by Ani DiFranco. She's only got a few songs, that I know of, that I actually enjoy.
Anyhow, I do wonder how many other countries will enact similar regulations. From a technical standpoint, this seems difficult to actually enforce.
as you know, the UK started it this year, causing Imgur to block the UK , but you can use Anonsurf/Tor or a VPN to get round it [but I find it a pain in the butt as speeds are adversely affected]
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Condobloke
Well-Known Member
Reddit is the only social media to send me details, thus far.
The only other I belong to isfaceache ..er...facebook. No word from them.
Imgur blocking the UK, sounds reasonable, given the circumstances.
It occurs to me that the 'ban' on kids activities is nothing more than an attempt to 'tidy up' the horrendous nature of the activities visited upon them by some/all of the 'social' media apps.....which the various apps simply refused to tidy up themselves when asked.
Imgur is not included in the Australian ban
A problem created by adults. It would make a great deal of ?sense/ ?....to burn the whole mess to the ground and start again.
www.sydney.edu.au
The only other I belong to is
Imgur blocking the UK, sounds reasonable, given the circumstances.
It occurs to me that the 'ban' on kids activities is nothing more than an attempt to 'tidy up' the horrendous nature of the activities visited upon them by some/all of the 'social' media apps.....which the various apps simply refused to tidy up themselves when asked.
Imgur is not included in the Australian ban
A problem created by adults. It would make a great deal of ?sense/ ?....to burn the whole mess to the ground and start again.
What is Australia's under-16 social media ban? The world-first law explained
What will Australia's groundbreaking social media age ban mean for teenagers? Australia bans social media for under-16s from 10 December 2025, including platforms Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Twitch, Kick, Roblox, X, Reddit, YouTube, Snapchat and more. University of Sydney Experts...
www.sydney.edu.au
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Condobloke
Well-Known Member
Some Australian teens 'insulted' by social media ban, as others praise a 'good thing' - live updates
The social media accounts of millions of Australians aged under-16 must be deactivated, with companies potentially facing fines for not complying.
www.bbc.com
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Condobloke
Well-Known Member
'I'd like it in this country': Our readers have their say on Australia's social media ban published at 10:32 on December 10th, 2025
We've been asking readers to share their views on Australia's teen social media ban.
Here's what some of you have said:
Companies like Facebook have been profiting off all the issues social media cause children. This is why apps like Retro Photos or Favs Private Social Network are so popular in the US. You should be featuring these to give them highlights. - Saba in Los Angeles, California
I know it's tough love, and there's going to be tears, wailing and gnashing of teeth. BUT. Sometimes children need to be told they can't have stuff. - Tony, 64,Chesterfield, England
We are ALL affected by the social media ban in Australia. I agree with the teens that the law should be used to remove harmful content, forcing social media companies and search engines to police the internet removing harmful content and prosecuting those posting. - Mike in Chelmsford, England
I have a child who isn't subject to this very sensible law, I'd like it in this country. The evidence is that social media is a psychoactive 'drug' that increases anxiety and dependence.and of course the 15-year-olds are supported by a group who fund them, it's in Meta's interests to back them all the way. Your own journalism has reported on this corrupt and dangerous commercial enterprise. It's a new opium war but on our kids. - Gareth in Cambridge, England
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Condobloke
Well-Known Member
Ban 'hit harder than I expected', says Sydney teen published at 09:38
09:38, 10th December 2025
Reporting from Sydney
It was 20:50 on Tuesday night (09:50 GMT) when I took a break from studying and tried to check Snapchat.
I knew the ban was coming, but it hit harder than I expected.
When Snapchat asked me to verify my age, I had to choose between bypassing it or staying honest, and, desperate to retrieve years of photo "memories", I asked my 17-year-old sister to do the face verification.
I didn’t fully realise what the ban would mean until last night. I was overwhelmed with panic, knowing I’d lose access to basically all of my most-used apps.
No more funny snaps with friends. No more Instagram reels from my mum. No more baking ideas, workout routines, or study motivation.
But then it hit me, probably the hardest, that YouTube and TikTok - both pillars in my life that I have grown up with, the place I go to for everything from maths explanations to grwm [get ready with me] vlogs - were also going to disappear.
I understand why the ban exists - social media can negatively affect mental health, and for some people, the algorithms take over their lives. The ban means young people will be pushed to interact with each other in deeper, more meaningful ways.
Although I agree with this, at this moment, it feels like I’m losing more than I’m gaining. Even if I could bypass the Snapchat ban with my sister’s face, there’s no point if my friends can’t.
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Condobloke
Well-Known Member
'It should be a personal decision': what Australian teens think of the banpublished at 10:12
10:12
We talked to teens across Australia to get their views on the ban - and they had a wide range of opinions.
"My mum explained to me that social media is like junk food for the brain," 12-year-old Lola said.
Oliver, who is 14, told us he'd "quickly get over it", while 15-year-old Serena argued social media use should be a personal decision.
"They should be regulating the content not the people viewing the content," says Tyson,15.
@Condobloke wrote: Tyson makes a strong, mature point.^^^^^ .. KIds are kids, they simply want to have what they see as having fun, which 99% of the time will include interacting with their mates. Not so very much different to the bunch of adults who inhabit this forum on a daily basis.
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Condobloke
Well-Known Member
Logic tells us that those responsible for enacting legislation to bring this ban into being, will not back down.
Doing so would take away the very thing they seek.
$
Doing so would take away the very thing they seek.
$
MzQ1NjExN2
Well-Known Member
Withdrawal symptoms.
Technology addicts suffer same withdrawal symptoms as heroin addicts, therapist finds
“A colleague of mine was treating a gaming addict and he came in for in-patient rehab which meant he was completely cut off,” he said. “He was sweating, shaking, unable to sleep.
nypost.com
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Condobloke
Well-Known Member
If anybody has a penchant to open/make a social media app, NOW is the time.
There is an opportunity here that may never repeat itself
Read and digest the comments from the affected parties, from the last week or so and from the coming couple of weeks, and form your blueprint based on those comments.
The vast majority of Australian kids do not condone or want material included in their socials, that does harm to their mates/friends. Those that do want this sort of material, are very much the minority. Commonly referred to as being ****holes by the kids themselves.
Our kids have bigger and better brains than we give them credit for.
One of the outstanding problems (in all countries) is that journalists will usually pursue the sort of news that is of a 'sensational' nature, and inevitably comes from those on the fringe, not the mainstream.
There is an opportunity here that may never repeat itself
Read and digest the comments from the affected parties, from the last week or so and from the coming couple of weeks, and form your blueprint based on those comments.
The vast majority of Australian kids do not condone or want material included in their socials, that does harm to their mates/friends. Those that do want this sort of material, are very much the minority. Commonly referred to as being ****holes by the kids themselves.
Our kids have bigger and better brains than we give them credit for.
One of the outstanding problems (in all countries) is that journalists will usually pursue the sort of news that is of a 'sensational' nature, and inevitably comes from those on the fringe, not the mainstream.
MzQ1NjExN2
Well-Known Member
And who is the woman behind this ban?
WEF plant. I'll leave it at that. :O)
WEF plant. I'll leave it at that. :O)
OP
Condobloke
Well-Known Member
Australian Bushfire (not ai)
Wow. Horrific, yet beautiful (when seen in a photo, thousands of miles away from the reality).
theLegionWithin
Well-Known Member
it sure makes a difference what kinds of trees there are in the forest. I grew up in western Montana, I'm quite familiar with forest fires - but our trees were mostly pine and pine trees shed their needles to make the ground (and the other plants the compete for light) more flammable. forest fires are entirely normal/natural so many species have evolved to "use" fire. the pine tree is flame resistant - oh, it'll still burn and rather well at that, but it will survive a creeping fire but the ground/competing plant species wont.
I imagine it's quite different when the tree itself is flammable and also exudes oil. presumably that's a survival mechanism, similar to some conifers that require a high-heat fire to open the cones that contain their seeds.
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Condobloke
Well-Known Member
the tree is of course flammable and so is the oil......the tops of trees explode in the fire and this, along with branches and leaves and bark cause the fire to move at a frightening pace...up to 30 km/hour in extreme cases.
Fires also burn faster uphill than downhill....the flames preheat the fuel in front of them, so they also gain speed as they go.
The majority of forests in Australia to catch fire are eucalypts....and there are a vast range of different eucalyptus.
Watching a fire making its way up a valley or slope is not for the faint hearted.
The radiant heat created is probably more dangerous than direct flame contact
Fires also burn faster uphill than downhill....the flames preheat the fuel in front of them, so they also gain speed as they go.
The majority of forests in Australia to catch fire are eucalypts....and there are a vast range of different eucalyptus.
Watching a fire making its way up a valley or slope is not for the faint hearted.
The radiant heat created is probably more dangerous than direct flame contact
and so the discussions go on
www.express.co.uk
Britain to decide whether to ban under-16s from social media like Australia
Amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill by former schools minister would follow restrictions being placed on children Down Under
www.express.co.uk
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Condobloke
Well-Known Member
And after the fires have passed....sometimes many weeks /months after........
Life begins again.
Life begins again.
I know it may seem a bit morbid, but I just made that photo into a wallpaper.
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