Screen time limits not enough to address problematic social media use: experts – National

Experts from around the world, including Canada, say the scale of digital technology use by children and teens is a public health problem that requires urgent action to prevent further harm.

A series of papers published by the Lancet on Sunday said responsibility for keeping young people safe from problematic use of social media and other digital technologies should be shifted from young people and their families to big tech companies and governments.

“It’s easy to think that technology impacts our health as a matter of our individual choices. And one of the things we really want to get across in this series is that that’s not the right way to think,” said co-author Jay Shaw, Canada Research Chair in responsible health innovation at the University of Toronto, in an interview.

Efforts by parents, such as limiting screen time, as well as the individual will of the younger generation, are not enough to address the “digital determinants of health” that are now part of their everyday environment, the paper said.

“We need to think about the design choices and business models of the big tech companies that have built these platforms that are designed for engagement and (to) retain us,” Shaw said.

“That’s what’s driving the health-related consequences of the digitalization of our lives.”

Digital technology itself is neither good nor bad, Shaw said, but the way social media companies make money is by keeping people on their platforms for as long as possible and collecting data about their likes, what they share, and what posts they visit – information that can be used for advertising opportunities.

“A perfect example is bottomless scrolling or infinite scrolling. If the page you’re viewing has no end, then it’s more difficult to close a session or such activity,” he said.

Targeted algorithms through social media and AI chatbots are designed to promote and recommend tailored content, which keeps younger generations engaged with the platform. For many people, those properties make it addictive and lead to problematic use, Shaw said – including not being able to stop scrolling even when it no longer feels good.

Depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances and limited physical activity were among the documented adverse impacts on young people associated with problematic digital media use in an “overview” of 2,790 studies, according to the Lancet paper.

The review also found several health benefits, including feelings of well-being, associated with “moderate” digital media use and active video game play.

This shows the importance of considering “our patterns of engagement with technology and the types of content we view” when assessing the benefits and harms of digital media use, Shaw said.

Big tech companies often refute claims about mental health disorders by citing insufficient evidence of causation, the authors say.

Although the authors acknowledged the difficulty of determining the cause, they said the large presence of digital media and the fact that some people are more susceptible to adverse effects than others justify the need for “precautionary public health measures.”

The measures include government regulations and reform of digital platforms’ business models to prioritize the well-being of young people, they said.

Australia has introduced regulations limiting social media access for people aged 16 and over – and dozens of other countries, including Canada, are considering similar measures, Shaw said.

Canada’s proposed policies – Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act and Bill C-36, the Consumer Data and Privacy Protection Act – would be “appropriate enough” if passed into law, he said.

The law would create a Digital Security Commission to oversee technology companies. This law will also restrict young people under the age of 16 from using social media platforms.

But the legislation would also provide exceptions for companies that demonstrate “adequate safeguards in regulated social media services for the protection of children,” according to the Parliament of Canada website.

“I think the logic of incentivizing digital media companies to demonstrate safety is the key to all of this,” Shaw said.

There are many positive uses of social media and other digital platforms, including education and recreation, he said, so a total ban on teens is not ideal.

“At the same time, I see no other effective way to encourage digital media companies to improve the safety of their platforms for young people.”

Instagram’s age limit is 13 and Meta’s owners say users under 16 have default account settings that allow parents to set screen time limits and see who their kids are messaging.

The default settings also block teens from messages from people they are not related to and minimize exposure to sensitive content, such as violence or promotions of cosmetic procedures.

The Lancet series draws on the life experiences of six young adults aged between 23 and 30 who formed a youth advisory group.

Yifan Zhou, a 30-year-old Canadian who is part of the group, said he agrees that social media can provide many benefits, including connecting with friends and colleagues over long distances and making it easier to access educational information.

But he also spoke to other young people about the dark side of digital platforms, including loneliness from reduced face-to-face connections and the anxiety that comes from frequently comparing what others post online to your own life.

Zhou said he also has family members who are teenagers and were exposed to online predators.

“This went on for years before almost all of us really knew about it because they also felt that it was not something they wanted to discuss. They felt embarrassed,” Zhou said.

“They also don’t know that things are not working as they should, but the regulations, the education, and many other things are not there.”

Michael Cheng, a psychiatrist at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and CHEO Research Institute, said he often sees the addictive nature and mental health dangers of social media.

Years ago, when she cared for children and teenagers at CHEO, “their question if they were accepted was ‘can my parents visit? When are visiting hours or when can I call my mom or dad?'”

Now, the first question that often arises is, “can I keep my phone?” he said.

Cheng, who was not involved in the Lancet series, said it was important to see “a convergence that we around the world are increasingly concerned about the same problems.”

“I remember 10, 15 years ago, those who were concerned, we seemed to be screaming and crying in the wind,” he said.

“Maybe the pendulum will swing back to the safer side when we can design safer technology.”

Zhou said although digital technology has developed faster than government regulations, he believes change is possible.

“The release of this paper is something that gives me hope, and I am also quite active in the youth world and I see that the younger generation is increasingly taking action in creating our own future.

“So that part also gives me a lot of hope.”