By Amir Mohammad
Public Health
Dr. Amir Mohammad
Recently I was invited to attend a roundtable discussion with US Sen. Chris Murphy at Amity High School. He is proposing a bill titled the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act and wanted to discuss with high school students, teachers, administrators, public health officials and other community leaders and stakeholders.
It was a lively discussion between the senator and the students representing various grade levels.
The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act would:
– Require social media companies to undertake rigorous age verification measures based on the latest technology, while prohibiting companies from using age verification information for any other purpose;
– Prohibit children under the age of 13 from using social media, consistent with the current practices of major social media companies;
– Prohibit social media companies from recommending content using algorithms to users under the age of 18;
– Require a guardian’s permission for users under 18 to create an account;
– Create a pilot project for a government-provided age verification system that platforms can choose to use; and
– Provide the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general authority to enforce the provisions of the bill.
Overall, the intent and purpose of the bill seems to be a step forward in the right direction. However, there were several specific scenarios/issues that haven’t been addressed.
During the discussion, it was evident that a lot of students rely on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube and Instagram to find and connect with each other and other communities.
They also critiqued the idea of having parental consent to be able to use the social media content.
Murphy also took some questions and provided his response as some of the details will need to be ironed out. For example, age verification processes needs to be streamlined to create an account.
According to various news outlets, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an extraordinary public warning about the risk of social media to young people, urging a push to fully understand the possible “harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.”
According to a survey conducted in 2021 by the Pew Research Center, a majority of 18 to 29-year-olds say they use Instagram (71 percent) or Snapchat (65 percent), while roughly half say the same for TikTok. Those on the younger end of this cohort – ages 18 to 24 – are especially likely to report using Instagram (76 percent), Snapchat (75 percent) or TikTok (55 percent). A majority of Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram users say they visit these platforms on a daily basis.
A recent survey sponsored by the Bethany Orange Woodbridge Drug/Alcohol Action Committee and Alliance for Prevention & Wellness was administered to seventh, ninth and eleventh graders in the Amity school system. The survey also included questions related to social media usage and prevalence of mental health issues. It found that 14 percent of students who spend two to four hours, 22 percent of students who spend four to six hours, and 30 percent of students who spend more than six hours on social media reported always feeling nervous, anxious or on the edge.
An increasing trend of negative feeling was also observed as the number of hours spent on social medial increased for an average daily usage.
Based on this survey and ongoing research, there are several indicators suggesting that excessive use of social media can also cause profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of our children. As a parent, I closely monitor the use of digital devices and have placed a daily time limit for my children. This can help kids to focus on their studies, exercise and sleep.
Dr. Amir Mohammad is the director of public health for the town of Orange.