Apart from the logistical issues with tracking and verifying everyone's identity, I think cutting teenagers off from an (admittedly very manipulated and dysfunctional) source of community is not a straightforwardly good idea. To give some examples, isolated LGBT teenagers probably benefit from being able to find and talk to people like them, and people into all kinds of niche hobbies and interests can be inspired to learn and create by other people into the same thing (cosplayers, digital artists, electronic musicians, etc). Also social media is used for organizing a ton of IRL events as well. (It would be nice if online community was not all centered on Facebook/Twitter/etc, but unfortunately that's the current situation.)
It's a lot easier to explore one's identity when you're talking to people who have similar parts of their identity. I'm curious how one would do that, on any medium, without being exposed to 'agenda-driven strangers'?
What are you talking about? Finding your people is one of the main benefits of the internet for minorities or folks with niche interests. We're literally on an interest based community right now.
There's this weird belief in certain circles that being gay is contagious and if we could only keep our kids away from seeing them they'll turn out "normal" and its bollocks. They'll just be unhappy and ashamed of themselves, think they're broken and not know why.
Ah yes, when you are a minority living your life is just 'an agenda'. It is so much better that kids feel alone and isolated than knowing facts that there are other people like them. Fuck that and fuck you.
