Did TikTok Design Its Platform To Be Addicting To Kids?
Plus: who's to blame for mental health crisis, misinformation abounds, and risking lives for likes.
October 10, 2024
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Many of this week’s headlines revolve around data. New data from new studies, new access to old data, and data about our opinions now that decisions are being made because of all of this data. Data data data.
New Polling Offers Insight on Key Tech Opinions
Polling firm YouGov joined with Tech Policy Press to conduct field polls on the American public’s perceptions of issues at the intersection of technology and democracy. Below are a few highlights:
Strong Support for Surgeon General’s Social Media Warning Labels
65% of Americans support adding warning labels to social media platforms to protect adolescent mental health.
Interestingly, the poll reveals bipartisan agreement on this issue, highlighting a shared concern for youth well-being.
Majority Backs Smartphone Bans in Elementary and Middle Schools, not High Schools
86% of respondents support banning smartphones in elementary schools, and 74% favoring bans in middle schools.
The data reveals less consensus on high school bans — 49% against bans, 51% for them — showing a nuanced view on technology’s role in education.
Diverse Opinions on Age Restrictions for Social Media Access
The poll also indicates varied opinions on the appropriate age for social media use, with more than a third of respondents suggesting parental control rather than government regulation.
Interestingly, support for parental decision-making spans across political lines, emphasizing the role of family in digital literacy.
TikTok Ban Sparks Mixed Reactions Among Americans
Opinions are split on banning TikTok, with 44% believing it would benefit society and 33% opposed.
Notably, regular TikTok users overwhelmingly oppose the ban, highlighting differing perspectives between users and non-users.
Poll Finds Support for US Surgeon General Warning Label for Social Media | Tech Policy Press
Meta Takes Potential Step Toward More Transparency
This week, Meta announced a small pilot program that would allow a handful of outside academic researchers to access Instagram data to study Instagram’s impact on teens and young adults.
The announcement comes as criticism grows regarding the platform’s effect on young people’s mental health — as well as reports of Meta’s internal knowledge of the problems the app causes.
It remains to be seen how much data is shared with researchers and what that data reveals, but it does signal a slight move in the right direction as pressure mounts for Big Tech to take responsibility for the impact of their platforms.
A New Development in the Debate About Instagram and Teens | The Atlantic
Another Study Links Smartphone Over-dependence to Mental Health Issues
A study published in Psychiatry Research reveals that adolescents who are anxious, depressed, or lonely are more likely to be overly dependent on their smartphones.
The research contributions to a growing body of evidence linking mental health struggles with excessive smartphone use.
This story is particularly relevant as it emphasizes the need for balanced tech usage to support the mental well-being of our youth.
Anxious, depressed, and lonely adolescents are more likely to be overdependent on their smartphones | PsyPost
Kids Aren’t Bored Anymore
The cognitive benefits of boredom are well known and this article includes interviews with experts to discuss how parents are using boredom as a tool to spark creativity and resilience in their children.
It highlights that when kids experience boredom, they are more likely to engage in imaginative play and problem-solving activities.
This approach encourages parents to view boredom not as a negative state, but as an opportunity to foster their children’s innovation and independence.
Kids Aren’t Bored Anymore. Here’s Why That’s A Problem. | HuffPost Life
Problematic Media Use in Early Childhood Linked to Long-term Issues
A recent study highlights how problematic media use (PMU) in children as young as two can lead to social, emotional, and behavioral problems later in life.
The research found that initial levels of PMU predicted higher aggression and emotional reactivity, which were associated with ongoing issues four years later.
Parental warmth and restrictive media monitoring were found to have significant correlations with reducing PMU in young children.
The growth of problematic media use over early childhood: Associations with long-term social and emotional outcomes | Science Direct
Other Headlines
- 72% of U.S. high school teachers say cellphone distraction is a major problem in the classroom | Pew Research
Did we miss anything?
Let us know in the comments below.
Author Jake Cutler
Jake is Gabb Now's managing editor. He and his wife have three wild little boys. Prior to Gabb, Jake was a band manager and adjunct faculty in the English department at BYU and BYU-Hawaii. His own writing has been published by Esquire, Forbes, Elsewhere, Iron Horse Literary Review, and others.
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