“Companies like TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook are fueling the mental health crisis by designing their platforms with dangerous and addictive features,” New York said. “We cannot stand by and allow big tech companies to take advantage of our children’s privacy and put their mental health at risk.” The mayor in his annual State of the City address.
“That's why today Dr. Ashwin Vasan [comissário de saúde da cidade de Nova Iorque] “We are issuing a warning and officially classifying social media as a public health risk in the City of York,” he said.
According to Adams, New York thus becomes the first major city in the United States to take this step and warn of the danger of social media in this way.
“Like the surgeon general [porta-voz em questões de saúde pública no Governo federal dos Estados Unidos] Just as we did with tobacco and guns, we treat social media like other threats to public health (…). We must ensure that technology companies take responsibility for their products. (…) Let us correct this crisis that our children are facing.”
Following Adams' speech, Ashwin Vasan issued a statement with more details about the action, emphasizing that New York faces a “youth mental health crisis” and is committed to taking action on appropriate virtual platforms.
According to the latest data, corresponding to 2021, 38% of New York high school students felt so sad or hopeless over the past year that they stopped doing their usual activitieswith black or Latino youth, women, or members of the LGBT community representing disproportionately high rates.
According to the statement, between 2011 and 2021, Rates of recurrent suicidal thoughts among students increased by more than 34%..
In direct connection, the memorandum indicated that according to 2021 data, 77% of high school students spend three or more hours a day in front of screens on a typical school daydoes not include time spent on schoolwork.
“Social media has become an increasingly present and influential part of the lives of young people in New York, especially with the advent of smartphones and algorithmic content targeting and monetization of user-generated content,” the text highlights.
The statement also provides guidance for young people on healthy social media use, such as implementing technology-free times and spaces, monitoring emotions during use, and sharing concerns about social media and mental health with adults.
“Hardcore alcohol maven. Hipster-friendly analyst. Introvert. Devoted social media advocate.”
