Social media is harming the mental health of teenagers, especially girls, France's health watchdog said on Tuesday, as the country debates banning social media access for children under 15. That said, what should you know about it?
Other countries are contemplating doing the same
The announcement of the results of a scientific study by an expert panel comes after Australia became the first country to ban major platforms, including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, for under-16s last month, while other countries are considering similar measures.
Social media use is not the only cause of deterioration in adolescent mental health, but its negative effects are "multiple" and well-documented, according to the French Public Health Security Agency (ANSES) in its official opinion, the result of five years of work by an expert committee.
France is currently debating two bills, including one supported by President Emmanuel Macron, to ban social media for children under 15. ANSES recommends that action be taken “at the root level” to ensure that children only access social networks that are “designed and configured to protect their health. This means platforms will need to change their personalisation algorithms, persuasion techniques and default settings, according to the agency.
"This study provides a scientific argument for the debate about social media in recent years: it is based on 1,000 studies," the head of the expert panel, Olivia Roth-Delgado, said at a press conference.
According to ANSES, social media can create an “unprecedented echo chamber” that reinforces stereotypes, encourages risky behavior and fuels cyberbullying. Content on the platform also portrays unrealistic beauty standards through digitally altered images, which can affect teenage girls' self-esteem and create a risk of depression or eating disorders.
Teenage girls are more affected than boys
Additionally, teenage girls, who use social media more frequently than boys, are also vulnerable to social pressures related to gender stereotypes, according to the report. This group is more affected by the dangers of social media, as are LGBT individuals and those with existing mental health problems.
On Monday, tech giant Meta urged Australia to reassess its ban on teen social media, reporting that more than 544,000 Instagram, Facebook and Threads accounts had been blocked under the new law. Besides that, Meta said parents and experts are concerned that the ban could isolate teenagers from online communities, pushing them towards less regulated apps and dark corners of the internet.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk's X platform, formerly known as Twitter, is facing global criticism for allowing users to use its AI chatbot Grok to produce sexual images of women and children with simple commands such as "put her in a bikini.
Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more updates.
COMMENTS