Parents can set screen-time limits. They can take away phones at bedtime. They can try to keep an eye on what their kids are doing online.
But experts say those steps alone may not be enough to protect children and teens from the potential harms of social media.
A series of papers published in The Lancet says the growing use of digital technology among children and youth has become a public health issue that requires immediate action.
And researchers say the responsibility for keeping young people safe cannot rest mainly with kids and their families.
Instead, they say governments and the technology companies behind social media platforms need to do more.
Experts say the problem goes beyond screen time
Jay Shaw, a co-author of the papers and Canada Research Chair in responsible health innovation at the University of Toronto, says the conversation needs to move beyond how much time young people spend online.
“It’s easy to think about how technology impacts our health as being about our individual choices. And one of the things that we really want to get across in this series is that that’s not the right way to think about it,” Shaw said in an interview.
The researchers say parents setting limits and young people relying on willpower do not address the broader “digital determinants of health” that are now part of everyday life.
Shaw says social media platforms are built around business models that encourage people to stay engaged for as long as possible.
“We need to think about the design choices and business models of big technology companies that have built these platforms that are designed for engagement and (to) keep us on (them),” Shaw said.
“That’s partly what drives the health-related consequences of the digitization of our lives.”
One example is the endless or “infinite” scroll used by many platforms.
“A perfect example is the bottomless scroll or infinite scroll. If the page you’re looking at has no end, it makes it much more difficult to close off that sort of session or that activity,” he said.
Targeted algorithms and AI chatbots can also recommend personalized content designed to keep users interacting with a platform.
For some young people, experts say those features can contribute to problematic use, including continuing to scroll even when they no longer feel good about doing it.
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Researchers link problematic use to health concerns
The Lancet series includes an “umbrella review” of 2,790 studies.
It found documented harms associated with problematic digital media use among young people, including depression, anxiety, sleep disruption and limited physical activity.
The research also found some health benefits associated with moderate digital media use and active video gaming, including a feeling of well-being.
Shaw says that makes it important to look at more than just the amount of time someone spends online.
“That shows the importance of considering “the patterns of our engagement with the technology and the kind of content that we’re looking at” when assessing benefits and harms of digital media use, Shaw said.”
The authors acknowledge that it can be difficult to establish a direct cause between digital media use and mental health problems.
But they argue the sheer scale of digital media use, along with the fact that some young people are more vulnerable to harm, justifies precautionary public health action.
That could include government regulation and changes to the way digital platforms operate.
Canada considering new rules for young users
Australia has already introduced regulations limiting social media access to people aged 16 and over.
Shaw says dozens of other countries, including Canada, are considering similar measures.
Canada’s proposed policies include Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act, and Bill C-36, the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act.
The legislation would create a Digital Safety Commission to oversee technology companies and restrict young people under 16 from using social media platforms.
There would be exemptions for companies that demonstrate “adequate safeguards in the regulated social media service for the protection of children,” according to the Parliament of Canada website.
Shaw says that approach could give technology companies an incentive to make their platforms safer.
“It’s that logic of incentivizing digital media companies to demonstrate safety that is the key, I think, to all of this,” Shaw said.
He says a complete ban on social media for younger teens is not necessarily the answer.
There are positive uses for social media and other digital platforms, including education and recreation.
“At the same time, I don’t see another effective way to encourage digital media companies to enhance the safety of their platforms for young people.”
Young Canadians see both sides of social media
The Lancet series included the lived experiences of six young adults between 23 and 30 who formed a youth advisory group.
Yifan Zhou, a 30-year-old Canadian, says social media can be a valuable tool for staying connected with friends and peers who live far away. It can also provide easier access to educational information.
But she says young people are also dealing with the darker side of digital platforms.
That includes loneliness caused by less in-person interaction and anxiety linked to comparing their lives with what they see other people posting online.
Zhou says she also has a family member who was exposed to online predators as a teenager.
“It persisted for years before almost any of us really found out because they also felt that it wasn’t something that they wanted to discuss. They felt ashamed,” Zhou said.
“They also didn’t know that it wasn’t the way it’s supposed to be, but the kind of regulations and also the education and a lot of things weren’t in place.”
Psychiatrist sees a major change in how kids view their phones
Dr. Michael Cheng, a psychiatrist at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the CHEO Research Institute, was not involved in the Lancet series.
He says he frequently sees the addictive nature of social media and its potential impact on mental health.
Cheng says the questions children and teenagers ask about their phones have changed dramatically over the years.
Years ago, when he was caring for children and youth at CHEO, “their question if they were being admitted was ‘can my parents visit? When are visiting hours or when can I call my mom or dad?'”
Now, the first question is often, “do I get to keep my cellphone?” he said.
Cheng says there is growing agreement around the world that problematic social media use is something that needs to be addressed.
“I remember 10, 15 years ago, those that were concerned, it felt like we were yelling and crying into the wind,” he said.
“Maybe the pendulum will swing back towards a safer side when we can design safer technologies.”
Zhou says digital technology has developed much faster than government regulation, but she remains hopeful that things can change.
“The release of this paper is something that gives me hope, and I am also quite active in the youth scene and I see that young people are more and more taking agency in terms of co-creating our own futures.
“So that part also gives me a lot of hope.”
- with files from The Canadian Press
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