What's happened
Following Australia's new law penalizing social media platforms for underage accounts, Japan is debating similar measures. This comes after a tragic incident involving a teenager's suicide that resulted in the death of a pedestrian, raising concerns about social media's impact on youth mental health.
Why it matters
What the papers say
The South China Morning Post highlights the Australian law's implications for social media platforms, noting that Japan is considering similar measures in light of recent tragic events involving youth. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar from The Independent discusses the societal implications of prosecuting a deceased teenager, emphasizing the need for a nuanced approach to youth mental health and social media use. Critics argue that prosecuting a dead individual is a waste of resources, while legal experts suggest it could aid civil claims for victims' families. This duality in perspectives illustrates the complexity of addressing youth issues in the digital age.
How we got here
Australia's Senate recently passed a law imposing fines on social media platforms that allow children under 16 to create accounts. This has sparked discussions in Japan about potential similar regulations, especially in light of recent tragic events involving youth and social media.
More on these topics
-
Japan is an island country of East Asia in the northwest Pacific Ocean. It borders the Sea of Japan to the west and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south.
-
Yokohama is the second largest city in Japan by population, and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the KantÅ region of the main island of Honshu. It is a major