This is reported by the Facebook and Instagram owner Meta in a recent blog post. They write that they will start introducing the strictest restrictions automatically on all teenagers under the age of 18 “in the coming months”. This means that Meta will limit the ability of minors to search for certain words in Instagram’s search field. EXAMPLE: Screenshot from Meta’s post where they show how you can choose to see less of so-called “sensitive content”. Photo: Screen dump / Meta The company writes that they will hide more content for searches linked to suicide, self-harm and eating disorders. In addition, that type of content will be removed from the teenagers’ Instagram and Facebook. Content that Meta believes is inappropriate for young people must also not appear on suggestion pages such as “Reels” and “Explore” or appear in users’ content from friends in “Feed” or “Stories”. Increasing criticism of social media The changes come after increasing criticism of Meta and accusations that the content on social media is harmful to young people’s mental health. Last October, 33 US states sued Meta for allegedly endangering the mental health of young people and luring children and teenagers into addictive use of social media. – Hope this is just the beginning Professor at NTNU Silje Steinsbekk has researched social media use and young people’s mental health. She takes a positive view of Meta’s announced restrictions. POSITIVE: Silje Steinsbekk is a professor and specialist in clinical child and adolescent psychology. Photo: Elin Iversen / NTNU – It is positive that young people are screened for content that is not good. When it comes to eating disorders and self-harm, there is some research that shows that being exposed to self-harm or eating disorder behavior online can promote that type of behavior. It is a kind of social contagion effect, she says. Steinsbekk points out that since TikTok is the platform most young people use, she hopes the Chinese company will follow Meta’s example. – I hope this is just the start of a trend that shows that these companies take more responsibility for creating apps that promote beneficial social media use. Then, of course, it remains to be seen what practical significance it will have, says the researcher. – A double-edged sword She states that young people need frameworks, laws and guidelines that stimulate good health and reduce risk. In this way, Meta’s new move is in line with, for example, age limits on the purchase of alcohol, on driving and on movies or games. HELP IN FOCUS: Screenshot from Meta’s blog post showing how, by searching for terms related to self-harm or eating disorders, information on where to get help can be found instead of content. Photo: Screenshot / Meta – Moreover, it is a double-edged sword: On the one hand, it can be helpful for young people to share painful experiences, get support and see that others are also struggling. On the other hand, being exposed to such content can make the difficulties greater for some. Steinsbekk also emphasizes that what makes someone develop an eating disorder or kill themselves is very complex. – When social media is at its best, it creates community, support, belonging and social interaction. But at the same time, they have many downsides, says the NTNU researcher. – A good start Psychologist and senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) Jens Christoffer Skogen has researched children’s and young people’s mental health against, among other things, the use of social media. A BIGGER PICTURE: Psychologist Jens Christoffer Skogen believes there is much that should be changed. Photo: Private – I immediately think that it is a good start, a sensible measure. At the same time, it is only a beginning and a small part of what should perhaps be changed, says Skogen about Meta’s announced restrictions. Like Steinsbekk, he points to research that shows that being exposed to content that contains, for example, self-harm or suicidal behavior can have a contagion effect, but that this is very complex. TIGHTENING: Meta’s changes apply to Instagram and Facebook. Photo: Thibault Camus / AP – Meta focuses here on the endpoints of a much bigger picture, but it is very important to address. For young people, the Meta services will only be a small part of what they spend their time on social media, so restrictions at Meta will not necessarily help that much, says the FHI researcher. TikTok can have a greater impact He also believes that TikTok can hit harder than Instagram and Facebook. – How the content is presented has a lot to say. TikTok with videos can be more graphic than conversations between young people on other social media. We can assume that exposure to images and videos is linked to how triggered one becomes and how extreme the behavior becomes. A kind of competition or social comparison can arise where one compares one’s own experience with that of others, says Skogen. – There is a lot of good on social media, but it is important that young people are not only allowed to express themselves freely, especially when it comes to such serious outcomes as this is in question. It can quickly make the pain worse, he states. For anyone under the age of 18, Meta states that they already apply these restrictions to new teenage users on Facebook and Instagram, but that they will now also introduce them for all existing users under the age of 18. Do you need to talk to someone? Church SOS helpline: 22 40 00 40 Mental health helpline: 116 123 Chat service from Church SOS: soschat.no Cross on the neck: 800 33 321 or chat korspåhalsen.no
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Meta hides suicide and self-harm content for young people – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
