Social media can be a ‘profound risk’ to youth, surgeon general warns • Hacker News Board

Re: Social media can be a ‘profound risk’ to youth, surgeon general warns

#391

Post by rovolo » Tue, May 23, 2023, 9:28 PM UTC

trillic wrote: post #182

dundercoder wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've worked in tech for 20+ years and I have 4 young kids. We allow our teenager use of a locked down smartphone, with a clearly explained zero expectation of privacy. We don't allow any social media on the phone itself. YouTube and other sites can be used under supervision for agreed on lengths of time. Once or twice a week my wife or I will go through their text messages with them and ask questions about anything t…

As a young adult who was recently a teenager, I can't help but feel concerned about the potential dangers of having no expectation of privacy from our parents, especially when it comes to reading through our text messages. While I understand the intention behind it, this practice can easily lead to conflicts and strained relationships. Teenagers are at a stage in their lives where they are trying to establish their i…

My partner's mom read her diary at ~11 and then got mad at her for writing about her frustrations with her mom. She then grounded my 18yo nibbling a couple weeks ago for writing the same sort of frustrations on the notes app on their phone (she's the legal guardian). My partner became withdrawn from her mom and kept all of her social life to herself, hidden from her mom.

Re: Social media can be a ‘profound risk’ to youth, surgeon general warns

#392

Post by laratied » Tue, May 23, 2023, 9:30 PM UTC

scythe wrote: post #114

bart_spoon wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every time this topic comes up, many of the responses here are about how it is pointless to try and impose limits on social media (or anything for that matter) on children, as they will inevitably circumvent them or something like that. To me it comes off like mental gymnastics to excuse a failure to actually parent.

It doesn't really matter if they circumvent it. The problem with social media is not exposure, it's overstimulation/"addiction". If you put an inconvenience between the kid and the stimulus, you're already more than halfway there. If they need to use a desktop and a VPN to go on Instagram, they can't spend as much time on it. Likewise, the kid will smoke less weed and drink less beer if they have to hide it and jump…

We aren't even close to this though with social media. We are still at the 1930s attitude with my grandfather and cigarettes.

He smoked cigarettes for 50+ years starting at 13 in the 1930s. No one gave a shit about smoking then.

Why you being so ridiculous? Let the kid smoke his cigarettes. Making such a big deal out of nothing. From what he told me it sounded like cigarettes then were on the level of having a sandwich. Literally as normal as waking up in the morning and the kid checking their phone. What is the big deal? What could possibly go wrong?

Re: Social media can be a ‘profound risk’ to youth, surgeon general warns

#393

Post by soulofmischief » Tue, May 23, 2023, 9:30 PM UTC

somethingreen wrote: post #275

zackmorris wrote: post #173

D.A.R.E. to Keep Kids Off Social Media Wages stagnated since 1980. Rents doubling every decade. Dead-end service jobs. Unpayable student loans. Social Security payments going to IOUs instead of retirements. Lying politicians and chief corporate officers making bank on the backs of the working poor. 30% credit card interest. Delaying childbirth to make rent until it's too late. GMO and processed foods poisoning giving…

The idea that any of these would normally worry an average young teen is hilarious to me. I grew up during cold war, USSR collapse, multiple wars in the region. At no point was I (or any of my peers to my knowledge) gravely concerned for our future. Because none of us yet had any idea what our normal future is supposed to look like. The only way these mild horrors get into children heads is, again, through social med…

Your lack of imagination is your own; Kids today have a better understanding of the economic lifecycle in which they're being forced to participate.

Re: Social media can be a ‘profound risk’ to youth, surgeon general warns

#394

Post by tasty_freeze » Tue, May 23, 2023, 9:31 PM UTC

gloryjulio wrote: post #264

thatfrenchguy wrote: post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> A burning natural world set to end between 2050 and 2100 Eh, climate change is a really big problem but you can't go around saying "the world is set to end between 2050 and 2100", it's obviously untrue and demotivating.

I agree that its a ridiculous description. But as a mentophor, I can imagine at that time the life is like burning in despair

I have expressly heard conservative friends use such exaggerations and metaphors as "proof" that global warming is a lie liberals are spreading because they hate freedom (or something like that).

Re: Social media can be a ‘profound risk’ to youth, surgeon general warns

#395

Post by tqi » Tue, May 23, 2023, 9:33 PM UTC

StrangeATractor wrote: post #351

gsk22 wrote: post #257

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hard not to notice that this is essentially the same argument people made against TV ("the boob tube"). People just stare at the TV constantly. Parents let the TV raise their kids. People watch TV even on vacation. TV has made kids stupid. And it probably goes back further -- can you believe the parents letting radio raise their kids? Don't get me started on the children who spend all day staring at words in a b…

Smartphones are incomparable with other forms of media. You don't have a TV within 3 feet of you 24 hours a day that you can pull out at any time. A TV doesn't ding to get your attention. TV channels aren't individually tailored for you to suck in your attention and hold it for as long as possible. There are fundamental limitations to TV which do not apply to smartphones. It's the same with radio. I grew up with TV,…

It's actually not that different. According to the American Time Use Survey, people watch about 3 hours of tv a day on average: https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/economy/issues-by-t...

Estimates of smart phone usage varies, but it is mostly around 4-5: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1045353/mobile-device-da...

Re: Social media can be a ‘profound risk’ to youth, surgeon general warns

#396

Post by the_lonely_road » Tue, May 23, 2023, 9:34 PM UTC

jiggywiggy wrote: post #355

lumb63 wrote: post #337

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> School shootings are such a regular feature of American life […] Media certainly amplifies the awareness of problems Case in point: in 2022 there were 51 school shootings [1]. Certainly more than I’d like there to be, but in a nation with about 129,000 schools [2], I certainly wouldn’t call them a “regular feature”. If students are in school for 18 years, let’s say, to include pre-K, Kindergarten, and an undergrad…

Come on. What point are you arguing? I know you are most likely anti school shootings. But whats the point of trying to deny it's impact with statistics? Whatever statistics you try to conjure. 52 in one year is way too much. And 1 in 150 kids being on a school with a school shooting is a lot.

It’s a political issue not mired in reality but instead in a desire to affect policy. They do it because it works. This discussion is an example of it’d effectiveness. People who will look to the statistics for context in other situations are quick to dismiss them here. There is no rational reason to be anymore concerned about school shootings in America than any other cause of premature death in children and quite a bit of reason to be less concerned. If you want to protect your children focus on drugs, cars, and military recruiters.

Re: Social media can be a ‘profound risk’ to youth, surgeon general warns

#397

Post by soulofmischief » Tue, May 23, 2023, 9:35 PM UTC

ajsnigrutin wrote: post #185

zackmorris wrote: post #173

D.A.R.E. to Keep Kids Off Social Media Wages stagnated since 1980. Rents doubling every decade. Dead-end service jobs. Unpayable student loans. Social Security payments going to IOUs instead of retirements. Lying politicians and chief corporate officers making bank on the backs of the working poor. 30% credit card interest. Delaying childbirth to make rent until it's too late. GMO and processed foods poisoning giving…

Yep, this is how you get violent revolutions... people look at the average rent and an average paycheck/pension, realize they literally have nothing left to lose, and once they realize who's to blame, things (sometimes literally) explode. Luckily (/s) we have social media to shift blame off of politicians to other groups of people, to fight eachother instead of the ones who profit from all this.

Unfortunately, most of our population in the US at least is not fit for sustained insurgence. I also doubt their willingness/capability to be trained. Most of the action will probably follow a power law. It may very well be that the most motivated folk will be those with something to lose.

Re: Social media can be a ‘profound risk’ to youth, surgeon general warns

#398

Post by s5300 » Tue, May 23, 2023, 9:38 PM UTC

dundercoder wrote: post #132

ChicagoBoy11 wrote: post #3

I work at a fancy private school and partially am have hosted numerous events for parents on kids and social media. We have been banging on this key for easily the past 8 years, with varying levels of emphasis. The response from parents has also been universally consistent: A lot of nodding, and, ultimately, very little action. There has always been a small but consistent group of parents who stand firmly on their de…

I've worked in tech for 20+ years and I have 4 young kids. We allow our teenager use of a locked down smartphone, with a clearly explained zero expectation of privacy. We don't allow any social media on the phone itself. YouTube and other sites can be used under supervision for agreed on lengths of time. Once or twice a week my wife or I will go through their text messages with them and ask questions about anything t…

>> Once or twice a week my wife or I will go through their text messages with them and ask questions about anything that seems off.

Holy crap.

Maybe you’re aware, but things like this are commonly cited reasons by young adults as to why they’ve never again spoken to their parents after they were able to escape them, sometimes even voluntarily becoming homeless to get away.

Re: Social media can be a ‘profound risk’ to youth, surgeon general warns

#399

Post by bradlys » Tue, May 23, 2023, 9:41 PM UTC

rovolo wrote: post #391

trillic wrote: post #182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a young adult who was recently a teenager, I can't help but feel concerned about the potential dangers of having no expectation of privacy from our parents, especially when it comes to reading through our text messages. While I understand the intention behind it, this practice can easily lead to conflicts and strained relationships. Teenagers are at a stage in their lives where they are trying to establish their i…

My partner's mom read her diary at ~11 and then got mad at her for writing about her frustrations with her mom. She then grounded my 18yo nibbling a couple weeks ago for writing the same sort of frustrations on the notes app on their phone (she's the legal guardian). My partner became withdrawn from her mom and kept all of her social life to herself, hidden from her mom.

Yep. This is exactly what happens. I already had a strained relationship with my parents but when they invaded my privacy - I decided to lock it down way harder and cut them out entirely from my life. I'll pickup a phone call from them every few months but that's all they get.

It's a great way to ruin relationships with your kids. Keep at it, HN know-it-alls.

Re: Social media can be a ‘profound risk’ to youth, surgeon general warns

#400

Post by hparadiz » Tue, May 23, 2023, 9:42 PM UTC

anigbrowl wrote: post #388

lumb63 wrote: post #367

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, I understand. Do you not understand that every child in this country is acutely aware of the existence of school shootings, and for many of them it absolutely is a cause of significant anxiety, because the media has shown them school shootings, and has told them to be anxious about them? Look at death statistics for young people [1]. There are many causes of death which children are not scared of, despite them b…

because the media has shown them school shootings, and has told them to be anxious about them What argument are you making, that news outlets should not report this? I don't think much coaching is required for people to feel anxious about the idea getting shot by a homicidal maniac, even if the probability of a homicidal maniac showing up is relatively low. Applying your logic, we should avoid having reports or drill…

Reporting about it in media causes more of them actually so yea. They should stop reporting on them.

Our states are as big as countries so they really should be considered separately. Just because Texas had one doesn't mean a child in California is suddenly in more danger. But actually reporting on it in news media does increase the likelihood because it puts the idea into a shooter's head.

To put it another way the school district I grew up in has never had a mass shooting. Is a child in that school district actually a 0.7% risk? Statistics can be skewed in any direction.