180+ Peer-Reviewed Studies Point to Social Media Downsides
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 Failed to Make the Cut in 2022- Will 2023 be the Year of Online Harms Solutions?
London, England, Coroner Finds Social Media "Contributed More than Minimally" to Teen's Death
London, England, Coroner Finds Social Media "Contributed More than Minimally" to Teen's Death
- 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 recommendation systems.
- KOSA was revised in early December 2022 to address first amendment concerns raised by the ACLU and other organizations.
- Now is the time to contact your senators and ask them to support KOSA.
Read More at Medium.com
Tell Our Elected Representatives We Want Youth Online Protections Now
London, England, Coroner Finds Social Media "Contributed More than Minimally" to Teen's Death
London, England, Coroner Finds Social Media "Contributed More than Minimally" to Teen's Death
London, England, Coroner Finds Social Media "Contributed More than Minimally" to Teen's Death
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, a factor in suicidal ideation, in school by teenagers world-wide since the wide-spread use of smartphones in 2012.
Simple Strategies to Reduce Adolescent Smartphone Use:
- Schools prohibit student use of smartphones during school hours to increase personal interactions.
- Schools stop using social media platforms for school announcements (including extra curricular activities), teacher homework assignments, etc.
- Parents delay their children's use of social media until age 16.
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