A New Wave of Digital Restrictions
ChatGPT is introducing new safeguards for under-18s.
At the same time, Australia is preparing to legislate a social media ban for under-16s.
On the surface, this looks like protection.
But is it really?
Or is it another case of PTFA Past Trauma Future Anxiety adults projecting yesterday’s scars onto tomorrow’s kids?
We’ve Seen This Movie Before
History shows us the pattern:
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Radio was banned.
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Television was banned.
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Even electricity, calculators, PCs, the internet, mobiles, and social media faced prohibition before acceptance.
Every ban delivered the same result: kids still used the tools, just in secret.
Technology always wins.
What we lose is trust and the chance to teach responsibly.
The Hidden Cost of Bans
When children hear “you’re not ready, you’re not worthy yet”, we plant a dangerous mindset a lifetime of grass-is-greener thinking.
Curiosity doesn’t vanish.
It simply goes underground.
And that’s the real danger. Not the technology itself, but the loss of open conversation, trust, and guidance.
A Better Path: Preparing Instead of Prohibiting
There is another way.
South Australia’s EdChat rollout demonstrates what responsible preparation looks like: creating safe AI trust zones where students learn to use AI with guidance and support.
That’s foresight in action.
This is why I always speak of futures in the plural.
There isn’t one destiny. There are multiple possible futures.
The Ripple Effects we react to and the Immediate Futures we design determine which ones our children will inherit.
What Future Do We Want for Our Children?
A ban is one possible response to a ripple of change.
But is it the best inhabitable future we can offer them?
We must Choose Forward for our children until they are ready to Choose Forward for themselves.
???? Do bans really protect kids, or do they simply delay their preparation for a world that’s already here?
About Morris Misel
I’m Morris Misel, futurist and foresight strategist. For more than 30 years, I’ve worked with businesses, associations, schools, universities, boards, and leaders across 160+ industries to prepare for what’s next.
Heard by millions each year in the media and on stage, I use foresight frameworks such as HUMAND™, Ripple Effects, Decision Trust Zones, and PTFA to turn fear into actionable preparation.
If your leadership team, board, or school is wrestling with AI, digital disruption, or future readiness, let’s talk.
The time to prepare is now.
Choose Forward.
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