Story Therapy

  Australia bans under‑16s, and the lobbyists sharpen their knives. Story: S A Spencer Author of Popular Fictions :  The Pink Mutiny ,  The Black Waters ,  Dream In Shackles Australia has finally done the unthinkable: told kids under 16 to log off. A radical idea, apparently, that children should spend less time being algorithmic guinea pigs. Other countries are eyeing the move, but the big corporates in the United States are clutching their pearls. Why? Because fewer teenagers online means fewer eyeballs to monetise, fewer dopamine hits to sell, and fewer ad dollars to hoard. To show how this plays out behind closed doors, here’s a fictional noir‑comic scene — a corporate agent whispering sweet threats to a politician — with commentary that cuts through the spin. Panel 1 – Hotel Bar, Washington D.C. Agent: “Australia’s ban is contagious. If Europe copies them, our profits bleed.”                Politician: ...