When We Know Better, We MUST Do Better
Australia is leading the way in banning social media for kids under 16. To gain access they are required to upload digital ID. My youngest son is a teacher there and I look forward to his insights.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐? There is more and more indisputable research linking social media to severe challenges for our children and youth. (I am currently doing a literature review.) Let me site some.
๐ฆ๐น๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฐ/๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ (lateโnight scrolling, notifications) links heavy social media or screen time to depressive symptoms and suicidality.
๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐น๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณโ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐บ. Constant exposure to idealized images and peer feedback loops (likes, comments, follower counts) is associated with body dissatisfaction, low selfโesteem, and depressive mood, especially in early and midโadolescent girls.
๐๐๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐น๐น๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ณ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐. The shift from traditional bullying to cyberbullying means harassment can be continuous, public, and difficult to escape, and is strongly associated with nonsuicidal selfโinjury, depression, suicidal ideation and suicide.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐:
๐๐ป๐ผ๐ป๐๐บ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐. The easy creation of anonymous or fake profiles lets adults pose as peers, celebrities, or recruiters, making grooming and trustโbuilding feel lowโrisk and lowโeffort for offenders.
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐. Direct messages, encrypted chats, and autoโdeleting photos give predators space to isolate children from watchful adults, escalate conversations, and move quickly to sexual content or requests for images.
๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐บ๐. Once a child shares a compromising image or personal information, offenders can demand money, more explicit content, or access to bank and giftโcard details, turning emotional harm into financial exploitation.
We need legislation to put the legal responsibility on the companies to reduce childrenโs exposure to harmful content.
We need a ban on social media, following Australia's lead. Kids should not have access. Period.
Social Media and Childrenโs Mental Health
Australia is leading the way in banning social media for kids under 16. To gain access they are required to upload digital ID. My youngest son is a teacher there and I look forward to his insights.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐? There is more and more indisputable research linking social media to severe challenges for our children and youth. (I am currently doing a literature review.) Let me site some.
๐ฆ๐น๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฐ/๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ (lateโnight scrolling, notifications) links heavy social media or screen time to depressive symptoms and suicidality.
๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐น๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณโ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐บ. Constant exposure to idealized images and peer feedback loops (likes, comments, follower counts) is associated with body dissatisfaction, low selfโesteem, and depressive mood, especially in early and midโadolescent girls.
๐๐๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐น๐น๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ณ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐. The shift from traditional bullying to cyberbullying means harassment can be continuous, public, and difficult to escape, and is strongly associated with nonsuicidal selfโinjury, depression, suicidal ideation and suicide.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐:
๐๐ป๐ผ๐ป๐๐บ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐. The easy creation of anonymous or fake profiles lets adults pose as peers, celebrities, or recruiters, making grooming and trustโbuilding feel lowโrisk and lowโeffort for offenders.
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐. Direct messages, encrypted chats, and autoโdeleting photos give predators space to isolate children from watchful adults, escalate conversations, and move quickly to sexual content or requests for images.
๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐บ๐. Once a child shares a compromising image or personal information, offenders can demand money, more explicit content, or access to bank and giftโcard details, turning emotional harm into financial exploitation.
We need legislation to put the legal responsibility on the companies to reduce childrenโs exposure to harmful content.
We need a ban on social media, following Australia's lead. Kids should not have access. Period.
When we know better, we ๐ ๐จ๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ข ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ฅ!