I have to explain to foreign brands that I cannot post on TikTok because the platform is blocked in Albania.”
Elvi Nuhu, 27, is a content creator in Tirana. Having amassed 115,000 followers on TikTok, he makes a living from social media. Speaking to iMEdD, he sounds anxious.
“The biggest problem is with foreign brands that want to sponsor their products or services on my TikTok. Because maybe foreign brands don’t know the situation in Albania,” he explains.
In early March, the Albanian government announced a year-long ban on TikTok, citing concerns over protecting minors from violent content and hate speech. The government decision began to be implemented gradually after March 13.
Opposition politicians in Albania, civil society members, and journalists who spoke to iMEdD argue that Prime Minister Edi Rama’s real objective is to silence government critics and manipulate the upcoming elections in May.
The government is not wrong tbh. Young people are addicted to social media and scroll endlessly all the time, and I have myself came across, mildly put, disturbing content. I deleted most of my social media and use the bare minimum to only keep up with some remote friends.
I also don’t buy the argument that it’s censoring because it’s just one of many many channels people can freely communicate. TikTok alone does not mean democracy. Also, the same way it can support democracy, so can it be used to demolish it by repeating false claims to make them appear truthful. And if you add AI on top which can generate convincing images and videos of whatever…
Prohibition has never really worked for any addictive thing so far. What makes you think that it will work for social media?
In my opinion, education is the better investment.
They already have the drug. Education is going to do nothing. They need rehab;this is much more helpful, making it less accessible to future children. Worst case they get more tech literate finding their way around the bans
Yea, but you gotta educate the next generation and not only children are affected by this addiction.
Meaning if you ban for children, they have no way to educate themselves and when they suddenly get access, the addiction hits even harder.
Some rehab may be required, but forced rehabs generally don’t work, you have to get the affected person wanting to go.
You can educate and ban. That’s what my school did… Teach you the real issues with drugs, not just the dare shit lol
Quite a lot of kids and teenagers have the same reaction to taking away their phone, as addicts have when taking away their drugs. I don’t think education can solve problems that are already affecting peoples mental and physical state. Not giving kids TikTok is same as not giving kids to much sugar. In small doses and controlled yes, but nothing you would give them free unlimited access to.
First of all, how is not giving and not giving too much the same?
Kids aren’t stupid, explain why it is bad/dangerous, best before first install of tiktok. And TikTok is not the only place in the web with shorts, hell even twich has them now. You need to educate your kids before letting the ho into WWW alone.
With a good education, you can get your child rejecting too much sugar on their own, btw.
Well, they ain’t smart either… Even adults know better but still many end up in situations that are preventable if you have just some small amount of rational thinking. Also… you first need to know it yourself, to be able to educate your kids. Most parents didn’t grow up with TikTok nor do they use it themselves. How to educate your kids about dangers you yourself don’t know or understand?
Kids are like a white paper, experience is what makes a kid “stupid” / “smart” or just to who they are.
But yea, I agree, that many adults have not the education they would need to educate a kid properly. There should in my opinion be support from society (like with government founding) that ensures parents can get educated enough. The society would profit highly from such efforts, I think, as well educated people can look after themself and are less likely generating costs that society (through taxes) has to pay compared to less educated people.
Government can get the similar effect with a ban, without spending a dime. Kids will grow up to be normal people who can actually work, be normal, and pay taxes. Same thing, but cheaper.
Kids aren’t necessarily stupid. But, same as the adults who they grow into, most are.
I refuse to believe that most people are stupid.
Hope you agree that not well educated is not the same as stupid.
Of course. Education has not much bearing on intelligence. I know college educated people who are idiots. I know highly intelligent people who haven’t touched a lick of education past highschool.
Though, I still believe most people are stupid.
Or they are just not educated enough on how one does critical logical thinking and not educated enough about the philosophy of scientific thinking.
Wait, I guess critical logical thinking is part of scientific thinking 🤔
no. Education doesn’t make a dipshit smart. It can make them better informed. Better able to make good decisions. But it doesn’t magically make smart.
Why are you now suggesting education makes a person intelligent? you weren’t before…