“The 360” shows diverse perspectives on the day’s main news and debates.
What is happening
On Tuesday, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a statement calling for action to be taken to protect children from the potentially harmful effects of social media use on their mental health and wellbeing.
“We are in the midst of a national youth mental health crisis, and I am concerned that social media is a major driver of that crisis – a crisis that we must urgently address,” Murthy said.
While the statement recognized social media as an effective teaching tool for children that can create self-identity, provide support, keep them in tune with current events, and allow them to communicate and form social networks, it also pointed to numerous studies which show that social media use can be “excessive and problematic” for teenagers and is linked to depression among young people who spend several hours a day on platforms.
The release also says that about half of teens ages 13 to 17 said social media makes them feel worse and “is predictive of a subsequent decrease in life satisfaction at certain developmental stages, including girls of 11 to 13 years old and boys from 14 to 17 years old.” 15 years.” Additionally, 64% of teens say that social media “often” or “sometimes” exposes them to hate-based content.
One of the recommendations in the statement to ensure a safe and healthy environment is that technology companies find better ways to comply with age limits due to these studies.
Now, House and Senate lawmakers are finding rare alignment, backing bills to put up barriers to social media use — like increase in minimum age to social media by age 16 – as America’s youth continue to grapple with the evolving mental health crisis.
Why is there debate?
The advisory says that about 95% of young people, aged between 13 and 17, use social media. More than a third admits to using social media “almost constantly”. As it stands, a potential user of platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Snapchat must be at least 13 years old to sign up for an account. On TikTok, children under 13 can access the platform, but their user experience is limited.
But the statement points to studies that show that teenagers have a “highly sensitive period of brain development” between the ages of 10 and 19, when they are more likely to take risks and when an increased risk of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. Studies show that social media use can also disrupt their sleeping patterns, facilitate the spread of rumors and peer pressure, and paint an “unrealistic” picture of other people’s lives that they may be too young to resolve.
“This population is particularly at risk, as our children’s developing brains may make the effects of social media more significant and long-lasting,” Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz, president and chief medical officer of the Child Mind Institute, told Yahoo News in a statement. . “Technology is also changing the way families operate today. We recommend that parents and caregivers communicate regularly with their children and provide tools to help them approach social media safely and thoughtfully.”
Lawmakers like Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, want to provide legislation for parents to “fight back” against big tech companies trying to “take advantage” of their children. But opponents fear that politicians are simply campaigning against an agenda that could potentially harm young people in America by cutting off access to communities that support them.
What is the next
In February, Hawley introduced two sets of bills “to protect children online.” The first bill — the Making Age Verification Technology Uniform, Robust, and Effective (MATURE) Act — would establish a minimum age requirement of 16 for all social media users, preventing platforms from granting accounts to children who do not meet this requirement. The second bill – the Federal Social Media Research Act – would invest in a study to examine the effects of social media on children over the age of 10 and commission a report on the potential harms of social media.
That same month, Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, introduced the Social Media Child Protection Act, which would make it illegal for social media platforms to give children under 16 access to their websites.
Perspectives
We need to equip children with “effective tools” to navigate social media, not restrict access
“Social media itself is a tool for gathering information. Generic statements, like this one, which states that children under 14 should not have access to social media, are not effective tools for changing behavior. We should give our children the tools they need to navigate the world safely, not prevent them from being fully exposed to it.” — Dr. Lama Bazzi, Fox News Digital
Children are still developing mentally at age 13
“Thirteen is way too early. … It’s a time when it’s really important for us to be aware of what’s going on in the way they think about their own worth and their relationships — and the distorted and often distorted environment of social media many It often does a disservice to many of these children.” – General Surgeon Vivek Murthy for CNN
It’s just politics as usual
“Technology advances much faster than Congress. The point of this bill is for Senator Hawley to be able to say, ‘Look, this is what I proposed to solve this problem.’ And then there is little action that follows. It’s a way to start a conversation and it’s a way for him to campaign on this ideal of being tough on social media companies. – Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star Washington correspondent, for KCUR
Experts believe there is a generation of children growing too fast
“When we talk about teenagers in the early stages of adolescence, we are talking about a brain under construction. It’s not so much about how they will behave online, but whether they are ready for what they will encounter. Social media opens up a very adult world.” —David Anderson, senior director of the Child Mind Institute, for Wall Street Journal
The mental health crisis among young people goes beyond social media
“I think they are using social media as a scapegoat. The mental health crisis – there are many factors involved in it. Yes, social media has clarified that for some of these kids, but I don’t think just blocking or making social media more difficult for kids is really going to have any effect on the mental health problem we have.” — Chris Kunkle, father of three, to USA today
There are age requirements for everything else that could be potentially harmful to children
“We have countless protections for our children in the physical world – we require car seats and seat belts; we have fences around the pools; we have a minimum drinking age of 21; and we have a minimum driving age of 16. The harm social media has done to Gen Z is undeniable – so why aren’t there protections in the digital world?” — Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, declaration
Hawley’s Bill Is a Veil for Anti-LGBTQ Agenda
“Banning social media is not just for the well-being of children, but is rather an extension of the already present right-wing anti-transgender agenda. Although Hawley mentions suicide, depression and other mental health conditions in his legislation, he and other conservatives are nonetheless focused on the alleged transgender threats lurking in every corner of social media, plotting to emasculate their children and androgenize their children. your daughters.” -Alexandra Kauffman, Emory Wheel
