Written by Michael Thervil
Photographer unknown
If you take a look around, it seems that nearly everyone has a social media app on their smartphone. Having a smartphone with a social media app installed is seen as a given right to every smartphone user in the world. However, in Australia that seems to be taking a turn. It was debated as early as September this year that Australia was planning on banning social media apps for anyone under the age of 16. For many detractors these plans seem ridiculous, and for others this plan is something that is seen as very much needed given the days and times that we live in.
See, when it comes to teenagers, their brains are still psychologically developing, the use of social media has the power to greatly influence their cognitive abilities, especially when it comes to decision making. When left up to social media influencers who are often paid to promote products, lifestyle, and political causes, often time without realizing the full scope and ramifications of being used to promote certain things on social media. What’s viewed as a financial gain and/or stardom for them, turns out to be nothing more than silent influential nudges that have the ability to skew teenager’s perception of reality to the point that it leads some of them to engage behaviors that lead to them having to make life altering decisions before they have the ability to fully understand the consequences of their actions.
In Australia, it was reported that although a social media ban would take place for minors under the age of 16, those with their parents could still be able to use social media apps on their smartphones. How effective will the ban be in Australia nobody knows for certain. However, when you look at other countries that attempted to ban social media apps, the only thing that was certain was the people were only delayed access to the banned apps and would eventually obtain the opportunity to use them at a later date and time. Even more than that, people and social media companies would skirt around electronic bans like this and form all-new social media apps altogether in order to circumvent the anti-social media app laws in their prospective countries.
Whether we like to admit it or not, social media is here to stay. The amount of power, money, and influence social media companies have gained over the last 2 decades is incredible to say the least, and since everyone knows “money talks and bullshit walks”; it’s safe to say that both social media and tech companies will get their way in the end. Studies have shown that social media use can alter the mood and behavior of all users but has the most adverse profound effects on the mood, ways, thoughts, and actions of teenagers.
Social media use is truly a double-edged sword. On the one hand it can yield a positive experience that brings people together and allows people to share meaningful information and knowledge. But on the other hand, which seems to be far heavier than the other, social media has proven itself to have the ability to manipulate and disrupt social norms, values, and social expectations.
From the calls of parents and researchers that aim to highlight the adverse mental health risks to sexual material, to sadistic acts when it comes to social media exposure and use; it seems that there are more calls for parents to restrict if not ban their minors from accessing social media apps in their entirety. Whether you agree with minors having access to social media or not; We’ll leave you with this: if the creators of the various social media apps don’t even allow their children to use it – why should you allow your children to use their social media apps? Food for thought.
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