Urge your legislator to protect kids online!
Social media usage has significantly increased within the last decade, and it is time to put concrete parameters in place to keep our kids safe online. We recognize that social media and the internet can both be helpful tools, but they can pose dangers as well.
It is vital for teen development that we prohibit the use of algorithms that feed inappropriate or unfiltered content and cultivate addictive behavior. Limiting the impact of social media provides a concrete step towards mitigating these evidential harms during teens’ most formative years.
Ninety-five percent of teens ages 13 to 17 have access to a smartphone, 45 percent say they are online “almost constantly,” and another 44 percent say they are on the internet several times a day, according to a 2018 Pew Research Study.[1] A 2023 report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), exposed that “nearly three in five teenage girls felt persistent sadness in 2021. And one in three girls seriously considered attempting suicide, up 60% from a decade ago.”[2] In addition, youth who spend the most time on social media reportedly have a 13 to 66% higher depression rate.[3]
It is no secret that the increased use of social media has contributed to these feelings of sadness, anxiety, and depression. The goal for these algorithms is to keep users engaged in the platform for as long as possible, which in turn gives a false fabrication of connectedness and reality.
Prohibiting the use of social media algorithms is a concrete step we can take to help keep our kids safe and take a step towards mitigating the mental health crisis plaguing our youth.
Urge your legislator to protect kids online!
Social media usage has significantly increased within the last decade, and it is time to put concrete parameters in place to keep our kids safe online. We recognize that social media and the internet can both be helpful tools, but they can pose dangers as well.
It is vital for teen development that we prohibit the use of algorithms that feed inappropriate or unfiltered content and cultivate addictive behavior. Limiting the impact of social media provides a concrete step towards mitigating these evidential harms during teens’ most formative years.
Ninety-five percent of teens ages 13 to 17 have access to a smartphone, 45 percent say they are online “almost constantly,” and another 44 percent say they are on the internet several times a day, according to a 2018 Pew Research Study.[1] A 2023 report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), exposed that “nearly three in five teenage girls felt persistent sadness in 2021. And one in three girls seriously considered attempting suicide, up 60% from a decade ago.”[2] In addition, youth who spend the most time on social media reportedly have a 13 to 66% higher depression rate.[3]
It is no secret that the increased use of social media has contributed to these feelings of sadness, anxiety, and depression. The goal for these algorithms is to keep users engaged in the platform for as long as possible, which in turn gives a false fabrication of connectedness and reality.
Prohibiting the use of social media algorithms is a concrete step we can take to help keep our kids safe and take a step towards mitigating the mental health crisis plaguing our youth.