Social Media is Harming Our Societies
Today's internet technologies have downsides that are often discounted or denied by technology companies and their supporters.
This site provides lists of peer-reviewed studies, scholarly reviews and books, and articles that use journalistic standards to document the negative effects of social media use. Potential Policy Reforms are also listed.
KOSA and COPPA Approved by US Senate Commerce Committee, Bill Moves to Senate Majority Leader
KOSA and COPPA Approved by US Senate Commerce Committee, Bill Moves to Senate Majority Leader
KOSA and COPPA Approved by US Senate Commerce Committee, Bill Moves to Senate Majority Leader
Read More at Medium.com
https://medium.com/social-media-harms
- 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.
- The Children and Teens Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA): Bans targeted advertising for children; Builds on the 1998 COPPA’s consent requirements by prohibiting internet companies from collecting personal information from children 13 to 15 years old without the user’s consent;
Establishes a “Digital Marketing Bill of Rights for Teens” that limits the collection of their personal information; Requires online companies to explain the types of personal information collected, how that information is used and disclosed, and the policies for collection of personal information. - Now is the time to contact your senators and ask them to endorse these important laws.
London, England, Coroner Finds Social Media "Contributed More than Minimally" to Teen's Death
KOSA and COPPA Approved by US Senate Commerce Committee, Bill Moves to Senate Majority Leader
KOSA and COPPA Approved by US Senate Commerce Committee, Bill Moves to Senate Majority Leader
Read More at BBC.com
- Molly Rose Russell, 14 years old, died by suicide in November 2017. In the last six months of her life, Molly was depressed. She extensively used Pinterest and Instagram during that period.
- On September 30, 2022, north London Coroner, Andrew Walker, publicly released findings from the inquest into Molly's death. He concluded that Molly died from an act of self-harm while suffering depression and the negative effects of online content.
- Walker stated that images of self-harm and suicide she viewed "shouldn't have been available for a child to see".
- Walker concluded that Pinterest and Instagram used algorithms that encouraged "binge periods" of viewing harmful content that Molly did not request to see.
- For more information or to find out how you can help, contact the Molly Rose Foundation or the Screentime Action Network
Now is the Time to Enact Social Media Regulation
4 Reasons to Delete Your Facebook Account Today
Big Ask: Request That School Districts Restrict Smartphone Use During School Hours
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.
Read more at:
Social Media Harms, Medium. com
Big Ask: Request That School Districts Restrict Smartphone Use During School Hours
Big Ask: Request That School Districts Restrict Smartphone Use During School Hours
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 16.
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