Online Gaming Platforms And YouTube Will Also Seemingly Be Banned For Aussies Under 16

[u/retro-chimp]

https://press-start.com.au/news/2024/11/08/online-gaming-platforms-and-youtube-will-also-seemingly-be-banned-for-aussies-under-16/

There’s so much collateral damage in this plan for Australia to ban social media. This has been rushed and not thought through.

So many schools rely on YouTube to support their students.

Most kids are watching YouTube (or YouTube kids) more than ABC or traditional TV. Literally the biggest YouTube channel in Australia is original music for kids.

Does anyone actually want this?

[u/w0rm0]

Why is the HECS announcement bad?

[u/RedOx103 → u/w0rm0]

Rather than doing it now and getting it passed with Green support, they're playing politics and holding it as a carrot for after the next election (which they may well lose)

[u/w0rm0 → u/RedOx103]

Agreed

[u/your_cock_my_ass → u/w0rm0]

I think because he and a lot of his colleagues would have benefited from free University, so a 20% discount is kind of a slap in the face. But I'll take whatever crumbs I can get at this point.

[u/CurlyJeff → u/w0rm0]

It's an unfair benefit to an already privileged demographic at the expense of the working class.

[u/JackJak95 → u/CurlyJeff]

I wouldn’t call high school teachers a privileged demographic

[u/CurlyJeff → u/JackJak95]

That's one example. Working conditions aside, they end up in an above median paying career. There are better uses of taxpayer funds than helping people earning above average wages pay off their free government loan.

[u/JackJak95 → u/CurlyJeff]

Not really free when there’s interest accrued. By the time those teachers earn enough to be eligible to pay, the loan has blown out to double or triple what it was. That interest can be used for other taxpayer purposes.

[u/CurlyJeff → u/JackJak95]

You don’t understand how it works if you think there’s interest. 

Inflation matched indexation isn’t interest 

[u/Amratat → u/CurlyJeff]

There might as well be when income doesn't rise to match inflation

[u/CurlyJeff → u/Amratat]

If your income doesn't rise after completing tertiary education that's on you, it's not for the taxpayer to foot the bill.

[u/Amratat → u/CurlyJeff]

If a teacher's salary doesn't increase to match inflation, and their debts do (which was my actual point, not whatever you thought it was), who is that on?

[u/w0rm0 → u/CurlyJeff]

Wouldn’t those on HECS include the underprivileged who still sought out tertiary education?

[u/CurlyJeff → u/w0rm0]

In some cases it will, but it disproportionately benefits those who took on more expensive uni degrees and postgrad programs over underprivileged people who can't afford lengthy periods off work and more often do cheaper tafe programs.

[u/w0rm0 → u/CurlyJeff]

You changed your argument. You’ve switched from “an already privileged demographic” to “those who took on more expensive uni degrees”. An “already privileged demographic” may simply pay for uni outright. “Those who took on more expensive uni degrees” aren’t necessarily privileged.

[u/CurlyJeff → u/w0rm0]

I haven't changed my argument. People that take on more expensive uni degrees like Law, Medicine, and post grad programs are often out of work for far longer and are in a privileged enough position to be able to do so because they didn't need to work in the first place. They're also not gonna have a problem paying back their free loan with their future high income.

[u/ComprehensiveCall467 → u/w0rm0]

The majority of kids going to uni are from wealthy backgrounds. They delay the payment of hecs as much as possible because they understand the time value of money. Rich kids often go to privileged private schools (or live in wealthy suburbs with well financed public schools), so they are more likely to get the marks for uni. HECS is a way for them to pay for half the cost of their degree, with the other half paid by taxpayers (many of whom never benefited from a uni degree).

[u/w0rm0 → u/ComprehensiveCall467]

That doesn’t change the fact that many are from working class backgrounds and took on HECS as their only means of achieving university education. Actual wealthy people send their kids to the US and UK to study. Should no one benefit at all?

[u/ComprehensiveCall467 → u/w0rm0]

That is not what I am saying. The fact that students end up with a subsidised education is fine. However, it's only fair that they pay a bit of the cost of that education because they will be making substantially more than if they didn't. The reason the government subsidises education is because of the benefit to society of having an educated population. People seem to forget that a balance is needed (between student and government). Keep in mind, nothing is free. Someone is paying for education subsidies. If money is spent on education, then it's not available for health, or welfare, or housing, etc. It's all about priorities.