I think we should shut down the current crop of social media
but that isn't going to happen anytime soon.
I think an easier way to achieves instead of imposing this on everyone.
Social media companies should be required to add paid tier where
the individual user can block the types of the user does not want
to see, (or just block all of them).
In some places perhaps the government would ban "free social media"
and only allow the paid tier to operate.
This in the best case would make the price reasonably low, if the
social media company does not want to lose a lot of users.
Perhaps even subsidised. At which point the goal set above is
achieved.
It should be regulated similar to online gambling in the UK (so barely, but it is a start).
The key being age verification. Under 18, or maybe 16 accounts have: Mandatory blackout periods (after 9pm most account functions stop working, parents could set this more aggressively if they cared about the child's studies). Interaction limits like time spent on feeds, type of content that will appear in feeds, number of friends, visibility of comments ect. Only one account allowed and enforcement taken seriously.
Over 16/18s should have the option to "time themselves out" for a chosen period with their account going into a limited mode where feeds no longer work . Similar to the option problem gamblers have where gambling sites are supposed to stop them playing if they block themselves. Maybe when someone needs to focus for exams or a work commitment.
Sure kids will try and get round limits, but I think when you have investment in a main account it would be something you would want to keep, so the threat of loosing it would be real.
I think an easier way to achieves instead of imposing this on everyone. Social media companies should be required to add paid tier where the individual user can block the types of the user does not want to see, (or just block all of them).
In some places perhaps the government would ban "free social media" and only allow the paid tier to operate.
This in the best case would make the price reasonably low, if the social media company does not want to lose a lot of users. Perhaps even subsidised. At which point the goal set above is achieved.