ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
A 74-year-old Betoota Grove resident has unwittingly ignited a debate about social media restrictions after an AI-generated meme went viral this week.
The meme, which features a crude image of a farmer with his sheep accompanied a message that ‘Not one acre of Aussie land should be owned by trans people,” struck a nerve online, triggering calls to expand the Federal Government’s proposed social media ban for under-16s to include everyone over 60.
The image, widely shared across our town’s various community Facebook groups, was created by an AI program designed to emulate the tone of local internet comment sections. Its uncanny accuracy in replicating the online behaviour of retirees has divided the town’s social media users.
“Look, kids under 16 are bad, sure. But my dad is 74, and last week he posted a photo of a random dirt road with the caption ‘The Australia they want to destroy.’ I think it’s time for an intervention,” wrote one commenter beneath the post.
Others shared similar frustrations.
“The algorithm gives my grandfather one fishing video, and suddenly he’s convinced that China owns all the water in the Murray-Darling Basin. Maybe the boomers should have a curfew,” said another.
Supporters of a satirical “over-60s ban” argue that misinformation and poorly executed conspiracy theories have become staples of older Australians’ online activity. Critics, however, argue that seniors’ unique contributions to digital spaces, such as overuse of the word “lazy” and posting articles from websites like “WedgeTailTruthNews.net”, should be celebrated, not censored.
The debate continues.
More to come.
