Social Media Harms References for Students, Journalists & Curious People

President Biden Supports Proposed Internet Safety Legislation in State of The Union (SOU) Address

While not specifically mentioned in the SOU, SMH endorses the below legislation.

Details can be found https://socialmediaharms.org/united-states

Kids Online Safety Act of 2022. The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) empowers kids and parents to take control over kids’ online experiences to better protect their health and well-being. This is accomplished through the creation of a legal duty to protect minors' online activities, mandates public interest research and requires annual risk audits. This bill also addresses algorithmic recommendations.
Children and Media Research Advancement (CAMRA) Act (2021, March 25), Per Congress.gov "This bill requires the National Institutes of Health to fund research regarding the effects of media on infants, children, and adolescents. Such research must examine the impact of media (e.g., social media, television, video games) on cognitive, physical, and social-emotional development."

Social Media Harms (SMH) Reference Lists Hit 100 Peer-Reviewed Studies

President Biden Supports Proposed Internet Safety Legislation in State of The Union (SOU) Address

All technological revolutions have unexpected consequences. The important point is to document, discuss and find ways of mitigating these externalities.

Read the Medium Blog Post:

100 Peer-Reviewed Studies Document the Mental Health and Societal Harms of Social Media Use Denial of Social Media Harms Continues Despite Ample Evidence to the Contrary — U.S. Congress Fails to Act

Public conversations must change from "if social media has negative consequences" to:

Which users experience these negative consequences and why?
What actions do companies and governments take to protect vulnerable people?

SMH includes links to organizations that are developing answers to these questions.

4 Reasons to Delete Your Facebook Account Today

Big Ask: Request That School Districts Restrict Smartphone Use During School Hours

Facebook’s Feed Algorithm promotes harmful content.
Peer-Reviewed Academic Studies Show that Facebook Use Causes Depression in 9.6 % of adult users.
Meta (i.e. Facebook) Leadership not supportive of change and will not act until the U.S. government passes legislation.
Protect Your Privacy-- Meta retains your private information, so they can sell it, until you delete your account.

Big Ask: Request That School Districts Restrict Smartphone Use During School Hours

The Journal of Adolescence published a study by Jean Twenge, Jonathan Haidt, et. al., on July 20, 2021 which demonstrated an increase in reported loneliness in school by teenagers world-wide since the wide-spread use of smartphones in 2012.

In a July 31, 2021 Op-Ed in the New York Times, they recommended

that:

Schools prohibit student use of smartphones during school hours to increase personal interactions.
Parents delay their children's use of social media until at least age 13.
Social media accounts for students attending elementary and middle schools be discouraged.