Words & Numbers
Words & Numbers
Free the People
Episode 478: No Socials for Sheila
50 minutes Posted Dec 4, 2025 at 12:00 pm.
Introduction and Overview
The State of Arts Education Today
Why Liberal Arts Are Disappearing From Schools
What a Liberal Arts Education Actually Provides
X Adds Country-of-Origin Labels
Foolishness of the Week: “World’s Strongest Woman”
Biology, Fairness, and Competition in Sports
Age Rules and Arbitrary Lines
Australia’s Proposed Social Media Ban for Under-16s
Why Age Verification Won’t Work in Practice
Should the Government Regulate Children’s Social Media Use?
Algorithmic Bubbles and Teen Vulnerability
96% of Australian Children Ages 10-15 Use Social Media
Where to Draw the Line: 13, 16, or 18?
Parental Responsibility vs. Government Control
Closing Thoughts on Freedom, Parenting, and Policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Show notes
In this episode, we examine why arts education often maintains higher standards even as liberal arts programs shrink in schools and universities, and what students lose when curriculum narrows to job training. We discuss how platforms like X are adding country-of-origin labels to identify foreign influence and bot activity, and highlight the “foolishness of the week” involving the controversy over the “world’s strongest woman” and the broader questions it raises about biology and competitive fairness. We turn to Australia’s proposal to ban social media for kids under sixteen, exploring the practical limits of age verification, the tension between parental authority and government regulation, and why teens remain vulnerable to algorithmic manipulation. We close by considering where society should draw age boundaries, how platforms shape behavior, and what genuine responsibility looks like in the digital age.
46:34 Closing Thoughts on Freedom, Parenting, and Policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices