Viral spiral

On 23 June 2020, Carson Bride was celebrating. The 16-year-old had just got a new job at a pizza restaurant, so he spent the evening with his proud family in Lake Oswego, OregonA state on the north-west coast of the USA. It is one of the most geographically diverse states, with volcanoes, huge lakes, vast forests and deserts., USA. Before he went to bed, he wrote his future work schedule on the kitchen calendar.

By the next morning, he had taken his own life. His mother, Kristin Bride, was horrified to find hundreds of anonymous abusive messages addressed to her son on an app connected with Snapchat.¹

Carson is just one of the many victims of exploitationTreating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their hard work. and harassmentUnwanted attention that makes someone feel scared or upset. online. And Kristin Bride is one of the many parents who attended a US SenateThe upper chamber of the Congress that - along with the US House of Representatives (lower chamber) - comprises the legislative branch of the US government. Each of the 50 US states is equally represented by two senators, regardless of its population size. hearing over alleged online harms to children this week.

For critics of the five CEOThe Chief Executive Officer is the highest ranking person in a company. They are responsible for making decisions about the company's future.s of Meta, X, TikTok, Snap and Discord, executives are not doing enough to protect children from the many ills of online interaction: sexual exploitationTreating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their hard work. and abuse, predatorySomething that preys on others. marketing, bullying, harmful online trends and more.

The Kid's Online Safety Act (KOSA) has been a key talking point in the hearing. The bill proposes safeguardsMeasures taken for protection. against the collection of personal data, restrictionA limit to something. of sensitive online material and more monitoring of online activity.²

There are plenty of alternative solutions. Some think we need a content rating system for all online material. Others have suggested tackling the algorithmAny set of rules followed by a computer. In the context of social media, "the algorithm" refers to the intelligent AI that learns the interests of the user and presents them with posts that it thinks will interest them., which shows children more and more extreme content to capture their attention.

Research suggests that US teens spend the majority of their waking hours on the Internet. Kids under the age of 13 already spend more than five hours online every day.³

But it has its advantages. Statistics from last year show that 80% of teens feel that social media helps them to feel connected to their friends, 71% feel that it offers them a platform to be creative, and 58% believe it makes them feel more accepted.⁴

But does social media do more good than harm?

Yes: Social media keeps us connected, allows us to access knowledge freely, inspires us and broadens our horizons. There is nothing in the world that does not have some disadvantages.

No: The risks will always outweigh the benefits. No matter how many protections are in place, predators will always find a loophole. There is no way for a minor to be completely safe online.

Or... Children are not only put in harm's way by the risks of abuse and harassment. Social media networks are also damaging children's concentration, fostering addiction and making them more antisocial.