King Cnut, or Canute, famously once told the rising tide: “You are subject to me, as the land on which I am sitting is mine, and no one has ever resisted me. I command you, therefore, not to rise on to my land, nor to presume to wet the clothing or limbs of your master.”
At least so the story goes and the lesson has been wildly misinterpreted since. The UK government recently rejected calls for a blanket ban on social media – and the ancient Cnut’s real lesson is awfully relevant now.
The Labour government in Westminster came under severe criticism from both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats alike, yet it almost certainly made the right decision in the near term.
It’s easy to say that something must be done, especially when there are so very many examples of harm being caused, but doing the wrong thing could well exacerbate the problem.
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The reality is that these complex digital systems and the way they impact young minds need well-thought-out methods. That’s why the British government’s decision to launch a consultation, a substantial one at that, is far more sensible.
The consultation isn’t merely soliciting submissions and views from various interest groups. Alongside it, a series of pilots are being run to examine the efficacy of different types of interventions.
That will provide some actual evidence to back up whatever decision is taken, with the UK government’s plan to announce its next steps in the summer.
It is easy to see this as hesitation but it is a vital pause for thought. There is a lot of noise in the debate right now, mostly focused on the issues around cyberbullying, mental health impacts and the addictive nature of social media platforms.
Throw in the many strange and terrifying examples of how people have engaged with AI and the concerns only get louder. With Australia banning social media for under-16s in recent months, there are now calls for similar moves in the UK and, of course, across Ireland and the EU.
To which I ask you a simple question: what is social media? If we are to go to just the name brand platforms, such as TikTok, Instagram, or X, then a vast swathe of spaces where young people congregate or interact online are ignored.
If we broaden the definition to every form of interactive site then it will be whittled down so much that even customer support agents or charities offering support services would be ruled out.
You can pick any point in between those extremes and the issue remains. The symptoms are being targeted without their causes being treated clearly.
That’s why the types of interactions that are harmful need to be identified clearly and with evidence-based assessments. The same goes for interventions.
Jumping in with a blanket ban doesn’t erase the problems that are all around us, they simply move them and make them harder to find. It creates an unending game of whack-a-mole without ever reducing the total amount of harm caused.
That’s why Ireland and the wider EU should pay great attention to the UK’s consultation process. The questions it seeks to answer, or at least understand better, address the efficacy of age-based restrictions, the nature of addictive features and the most effective tools to aid both parents and teens.
This consultation is trying to understand the very design of these platforms and how they impact the mind at different stages, particularly different stages of adolescence.
It’s far from a cure-all. After all, even considering the scale of the consultation proposed in terms of participants, there’s only so much that can be understood in a few months. In reality, an ongoing form of large-scale government backed assessment is required.
That’s where Ireland and the wider EU have an opportunity. Across the union, there are about 60 million people aged under 16 at any given moment. That’s a lot of young people to watch out for but also many that can help with ongoing pan-Continental assessment.
Blanket bans haven’t worked on drugs – prescription or prohibited – or alcohol, so why on earth do we think they’ll offer any real help with social media?
We didn’t ban cars despite them being tonne-heavy death machines. We worked out how to make them safer, for all involved, including the environment around them, with creations such as seat belts and traffic lights along with varying speed limits depending on where they were operating.
The tale of King Cnut and the tide wasn’t about the powerlessness of humanity, it was a warning against arrogance. Simply listening to the mob and imposing a blanket ban will get pats on the back for politicians without ever achieving anything.
The problems we face right now with social media are scary, especially due to the risks for young people. We should not deceive ourselves with the illusion of control that rash action brings. Don’t try to command the tide, instead learn how it truly moves and adapt accordingly.
