FOR THE WEEK OF DEC. 16, 2024

Long hours on social media or video games can put teens at risk, mental health experts warn

Prominent health experts in the United States and other nations issue new warnings about potential drawbacks from heavy use of social media and video games by students. The World Health Organization (WHO) cites a "sharp rise in problematic social media use" among children worldwide. Profit-minded operators of Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and SnapChat are accused of refusing to do anything to address the risk of teen addiction to their platforms. Similarly, game makers are accused of designing video releases to lead some young players to spend hours in front of the screen. WHO's findings come from a 2018-22 survey of almost 280,000 students aged 11, 13 and 15 across Europe, central Asia and Canada in 2022.

"Children's health is paying the price for tech companies' profits," Sweden's minister of social affairs said in September. WHO, a United Nations agency, calls for digital literacy to be taught in schools and for increased access to teen mental health services. It also says training is needed for educators and health-care providers about video game and social media addiction risks.

Symptoms include an inability to control social media time, experiencing withdrawal when not using it, neglecting other activities and facing setbacks in daily life due to excessive screen time. Nearly half of adolescents in one study say social media makes them feel worse about their bodies, for instance. Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, mental health research suggests.

In response, Australia's prime minister wants to force social media firms to use age-verification technology to block users under 16. "Social media is doing harm to our kids, and I'm calling time on it," says Anthony Albanese, the Australian leader. Three Asian countries -- Malaysia, Singapore and Pakistan -- have similar restrictions. Sweden's public health agency recommended recently that children between six and 12 shouldn't use screens more than two hours a day. Among 13- to 18-year-olds, the suggested limit is three hours.

Here in the U.S., New York’s governor last summer signed a law banning ban social media platforms from serving content to users under 18 based on recommendation algorithms generated by their past clicks, which the law calls an "addictive feed." A similar bill won California Senate approval and awaits State Assembly action. Nationally, the federal surgeon general makes these suggestions in a New York Times guest column:

• Schools should ensure that classrooms and social time are phone-free experiences.
• Parents should create phone-free zones around bedtime, meals and social gatherings.
• Parents should wait until after middle school to allow social media access.
• Congress should pass legislation to shield young people from online harassment, abuse and exploitation and from exposure to extreme violence and sexual content.

Federal official says: "The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor." – Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. surgeon general

UN agency says: "We need immediate and sustained action to help adolescents turn the tide on potentially damaging social media use, which has been shown to lead to depression, bullying, anxiety and poor academic performance." – World Health Organization report in September

Psychologist says: "There are absolutely alarms to be sounded, but the vast majority of kids are engaging in screen-related behaviors that may not be either pathological or damaging." -- Matthew Cruger of the Child Mind Institute, a nonprofit in Manhattan, N.Y., and San Mateo, Calif.

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SL.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: An essay of a current news event is provided for discussion to encourage participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the article. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event within the news, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.