Change

[BigK]

On 4/26/2023 at 3:03 PM, Luckyforward said:

I was reading some research the other day about the correlation between adolescent screen time and depression.  Lots of studies going on at present with no "100%" conclusion, but I found the following interesting:

The researchers also looked to see if a child's present use of social media predicted a decrease of life satisfaction one year later. That data suggests two windows of time when children are most sensitive to detrimental effects of social media, especially heavy use of it. For girls, one window occurs at ages 11 through 13. And for boys, one window occurs at ages 14 and 15. For both genders, there's a window of sensitivity around age 19 — or near the time teenagers enter college. Amy Orben and her team at the University of Cambridge reported the findings in Nature Communications.

This type of evidence is known as a correlative. "It's hard to draw conclusions from these studies," Gentzkow says, because many factors contribute to life satisfaction, such as environmental factors and family backgrounds. Plus, people may use social media because they're depressed (and so depression could be the cause, not the outcome of social media use).

"Nevertheless, these correlative studies, together with the evidence from the causal experiments, paint a picture that suggests we should take social media seriously and be concerned," Gentzkow adds.

Psychologist Orben once heard a metaphor that may help parents understand how to approach this new technology. Social media for children is a bit like the ocean, she says, noting that it can be an extremely dangerous place for children. Before parents let children swim in any open water, they make sure the child is well-prepared and equipped to handle problems that arise. They provide safety vests, swimming lessons, often in less dangerous waters, and even then parents provide a huge amount of supervision.

I read this today about banning social media to kids:

https://www.allsides.com/story/technology-new-bipartisan-bill-would-ban-kids-under-13-social-media

The Details: The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, introduced by Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Tom Cotton (R-AK), would set a minimum age of 13 to use social media apps, and would require parental consent for kids ages 13-17 to use social media. It would also require platforms to adopt new age verification measures in a program overseen by the Department of Commerce, and would ban companies from using algorithms to recommend content for users under 18.

[peejman]

8 minutes ago, BigK said:

I read this today about banning social media to kids:

https://www.allsides.com/story/technology-new-bipartisan-bill-would-ban-kids-under-13-social-media

The Details: The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, introduced by Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Tom Cotton (R-AK), would set a minimum age of 13 to use social media apps, and would require parental consent for kids ages 13-17 to use social media. It would also require platforms to adopt new age verification measures in a program overseen by the Department of Commerce, and would ban companies from using algorithms to recommend content for users under 18.

The fact that we think we'd need to legislate this tells you all you need to know about the state of parents, kids, and business in America.  

[BigK]

Just now, peejman said:

The fact that we think we'd need to legislate this tells you all you need to know about the state of parents, kids, and business in America.  

Excellent point!!!

I suspect the social media giants will wield their might to stop this. Kids will cry. Parents will think the gov't is trying to usurp their authority. 

Maybe Hot Wheels and Barbie dolls will sell more now and/or kids will ride bikes and play outside. Who knows?

[peejman]

8 hours ago, BigK said:

Excellent point!!!

I suspect the social media giants will wield their might to stop this. Kids will cry. Parents will think the gov't is trying to usurp their authority. 

Maybe Hot Wheels and Barbie dolls will sell more now and/or kids will ride bikes and play outside. Who knows?

My youngest (12) was a smart arse to mom yesterday, so she banned him from screens today.  When I got home from work, he was quick to trumpet all the useful things he'd accomplished with his time. Seemed like there was a bit of recognition here.  Small victories.