I think smoking is a little different for a few reasons.

It's physically addictive with harsh withdrawal symptoms that makes it difficult to quit; and it has significant healthcare costs for the wider community when smokers eventually get sick and die prematurely.

Nobody is going to get addicted and die prematurely from reading 4chan. Cleaning what you consider a cesspool is not the job of the government. These laws are about kids stumbling into the cesspool before they are ready.

Parents can choose to just not give their kids phones till they are 12 or 13 (highschool). Before that, internet access is on locked down devices in the family room with somebody else around.

Personally I think once your kids are about 13-14 you have probably had your chance to pass on your morals, they need to be mentally prepared to encounter bad stuff on the internet and deal with it.

▲

cyanydeez a day ago | parent | next [-]

social media is clearly physically addictive. America's turned into a neonazi democracy partly because of this.

▲

exoverito a day ago | parent [-]

Psychologically perhaps, but to say physically addictive is not precise.

The government in general has been becoming increasingly authoritarian and centralized far before social media, see the abuses of the CIA and MK ULTRA, Operation Mockingbird, COINTELPRO, the War on Terror. You use the term neonazi, yet I hope you're honest enough to recognize the left also has dark authoritarian impulses. It was only a few years ago that we had ruinous lockdowns, widespread censorship, illegal mandates for experimental medical interventions, mostly peaceful riots, a 30% spike in homicides, anarcho-tyranny with the prosecution of Kyle Rittenhouse and Daniel Penny, etc.

	▲	ares623 a day ago \| parent \| next [-]
		How is nicotine different from dopamine? Both are addictive chemistry. One comes in little sticks, the other comes in a black glass and metal slab.
	▲	cyanydeez 15 hours ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		Part of cigerettes adficrive physical is the action and cues. I agree thwres no chemical component but addictiond are broadee than just external chemical iintroduction.
	▲	immibis 21 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Is the democrat party on the left?

▲

immibis 21 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

There used to be speculation that smokers actually cost less to the government, since they get lung cancer and die before they would get their pensions, or soon after, and therefore the government wanted people to smoke.

I mean, point 1 in favour of this theory is the fact that tobacco is legal, while most drugs aren't.