Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for privacy. But between setting up the birthdate when creating my children’s local account on their computers, and having to send a copy of their ID to every platform under the sun, I’d easily chose the former.
I’d even agree to a simple protocol (HTTP X-Over-18 / X-Over-21 headers?) to that.
The only misunderstanding is that it is only a metaphor and not actually biologically correct for frogs in the literal sense. It is absolutely applicable in human behavior, observable, and easily replicated. Is coffee or alcohol an actual acquired taste or is it people gradually adapting to change?
https://behaviorfacts.com/boiling-frog-theory/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mindfulness-for-wellbeing/202201/whats-the-best-way-to-change