By Dr. Tawanna Gilford
More than a third of Black teenagers in America say they are on YouTube “almost constantly.” An even larger share say the same about TikTok.
Those figures come from the Pew Research Center’s latest survey of teens, and they should be a wake up call to every parent and educator who believes we can and must do better for our young people as they navigate life online.
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Childhood and young adulthood are periods during one’s lifespan where identities are formed; but they are also times of one’s life characterized by: looking externally for validation and acceptance, along with decreased self-esteem and sense of self. Generally speaking, young people are impressionable and tend to seek out examples from others on how to shape their own lives and curate their personal experiences. This is exacerbated by social media algorithms that feed an endless hunger for images and videos that closely resembles content recently and previously viewed. These sequential dopamine rewards increase consumption and lead viewers down paths to consume similar, but slightly novel content; making it more difficult for young people to disengage or completely disconnect from their devices.
I have spent years working with young people and families in Harlem. The young people in our community are bright, curious and connected. They deserve platforms built to protect them, not just to hold their attention.
That’s why I’m grateful to Attorney General Letitia James. In August, she and a coalition of attorneys general reached a settlement with Meta that puts real limits on Instagram and Facebook for users under 18. The agreement limits late-night use, cuts down on distractions during the school day, caps how much time kids can spend on the apps and tightens age checks. James said the agreement sets a standard of reforms for all social media platforms. She’s right, and that’s exactly the point.
Because right now, that standard only applies to two apps. It doesn’t yet reach YouTube or TikTok, the platforms more than a third of Black teens say they’re on almost constantly. If those companies aren’t held to the same standard, this settlement will protect some kids more than others. That’s not fair to the 3.9 million New Yorkers under 18.. It’s a question of whether every child gets equal protection.
New York has already taken TikTok to court, and Attorney General James has made clear that she’s not stopping there. That matters, because there’s more at stake than screen time. New York will receive at least $819 million from the settlement for youth mental health services and education, and up to $1.15 billion if other platforms show some courage, come to the table, and show they want to make their platforms safer for young people by agreeing to similar measures.. Communities like ours know what it means to wait on mental health resources for our young people. We shouldn’t have to wait on YouTube and TikTok, too.
YouTube and TikTok serve millions of the very same young people who now will be able to more safely use Facebook and Instagram. However, AG James shouldn’t have to go to court just to force every platform separately to agree to common sense safety rules. YouTube and TikTok can extend these protections to their young users today, and they should. Therefore, we are calling on these platforms to show good stewardship and a commitment to safeguarding our most vulnerable population. To do so would demonstrate good faith efforts to close any loopholes, that would give young people unbridled access to the dangers of social media use, without restrictions. Additionally, by proactively taking these steps, TikTok and YouTube’s actions would reflect cohesion across social media partners and show that their values also align with community stakeholders, in promoting and facilitating child protections.
Every child in this city deserves the same protection, no matter which app is open on their phone. Attorney General James opened the door. YouTube and TikTok need to walk through it.
Dr. Gilford is a child and family psychologist who lives in Harlem.
Dr. Tawanna Gilford
Dr. Tawanna Gilford is a Harlem-born licensed psychologist specializing in trauma-informed care, cultural coping, and community wellness. She earned her doctorate in counseling psychology from the University at Buffalo. Her work spans hospital mental health services, clinical supervision, and advocacy, with a focus on supporting underserved communities and promoting healing.
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