– This app makes their lives hell, says “Jan”. He has a teenage daughter who is seriously ill with the eating disorder anorexia. In recent weeks, she has also been suicidal. news has previously written a case about the algorithms of the popular video sharing service TikTok, which can lead to several young people ending up down a dark rabbit hole on the app. In the case, TikTok responds that the claims from new reports made by Amnesty do not reflect basic facts about their platform. They also write that they cannot comment on speculation that is made without evidence. The answer causes “Jan” to react. – It takes five minutes to bring up videos about getting thin, being anorexic, self-harm and suicide, he says. The man in this case is not actually called “Jan”. His identity is known to news, but it is hidden in this case for the sake of him and his family. The daughter has had the app over a long period. – At first there was a lot of dancing, and she was part of that run. Then it was really just cozy, says “Jan”. But in recent years she has republished several videos dealing with mental illness, self-harm and suicide. – It is often very subtle, but you quickly understand that it deals with self-harm and suicide, says “Jan”. He does not link his daughter’s illness directly to TikTok, but he does not think the app makes the situation any better. – I am sure that you are affected by watching videos like this if you are depressed and have suicidal thoughts. It’s a round dance because it’s sick people who post, and they get recognition from people who are at least as sick. Researcher confirms connection Researcher at the University of Oslo, Anita Tørmoen, confirms a connection between time spent on social media and self-harm. In a new article in Scientific reports, she and four other researchers have investigated the media habits of 13,000 young people in Norway. – The article shows that children and young people who use social media for more than three hours a day are almost three times more likely to engage in self-harm, says Tørmoen. This connection also holds when the young people’s other ailments are taken into account, she says. – This suggests that there is something about social media use that can be unfortunate. Falling asleep late, but also bullying on social media are important clues to investigate further. Photo: University of Oslo She also believes that young people are influenced, and can get ideas, through social media. – You can be convinced that self-harm can be a solution to situations you are in, or that can reduce feelings that are difficult, she says and adds: – Attention, likes you get from sharing your own struggles or commenting and acknowledging the struggles of others can create belonging and acceptance, but also be important factors for the increase in self-harm we see now. Tørmoen has previously researched the proportion of Norwegian young people who engage in self-harm. It showed that 16 per cent of Norwegian youth at secondary school and the first stage of upper secondary school say that they have engaged in self-harm at one time or another. 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 15 years ago the figure was approximately 4 per cent. news has presented the communications manager for TikTok in the Nordics, Parisa Khosravi, for the statements in this case. She writes in an email that: – Keeping the users of the platform safe is important to us. Therefore, in addition to our guidelines, we have several tools in place for younger users. This includes, among other things, limitation of screen time, family connection, filter settings for “For You-feed” and a refresh function for “For You-feed”. – An enormous dilemma “Jan” has herself created an anonymous account that follows her daughter on social media. Through the app, he gets small glimpses of how his daughter’s state of mind is developing. – You can say that we should take the phone away from her, but you can’t do that with a teenager. They lose their friends because everyone communicates on different apps. In the end, it is friends and family who will pull them back to a normal situation. Nor can parents demand insight into everything the children are doing, says “Jan”. – She has a right to her privacy, too. It’s a huge dilemma. The situation is much bigger than TikTok. We are totally powerless when it comes to our children and social media. Now he hopes TikTok will do more to moderate the content on the platform. – They manage to moderate content from war and sexually charged content. It doesn’t seem like this is that high on the priority list. We need regulation, and quickly. TikTok must take responsibility for this itself. Requires an age limit Researcher Anita Tørmoen is concerned about the development. At the same time, she does not want to create an enemy image of all social media use. – It is more about finding out what is harmful and for whom. If you cannot control or stop this, it will be just as important that we engage in dialogue with young people who are on these platforms, and develop good manners. In 2020, a new guide, called #chatsafe, was launched online. – We are concerned with intensifying and getting these good tutors out to young people through social media and chat safe, says Tørmoen. Party leader in the Christian People’s Party, Olaug Bollestad, wants to limit young people’s access to social media. – We have to introduce requirements for parental consent with BankID, which means that children under the age of 16 must get permission from their parents to open accounts on social media. Photo: Simon Skjelvik Brandseth / news Together with Dag-Inge Ulstein and Kjell Ingolf Ropstad, she has submitted a representative proposal to the Storting. Representative proposal 247 S The following proposal has been put forward by Olaug Bollestad, Dag-Inge Ulstein and Kjell Ingolf Ropstad: The Storting asks the government as soon as possible to put forward a proposal for a real 13-year limit for social media with a requirement for registration and logging in with BankID or similar solutions. The Storting asks the government to put forward a proposal on parental consent as soon as possible, where parents must use BankID or similar solutions to open accounts on social media for children under 16. The Storting asks the government to urgently put forward a proposal to ban social media from using children’s personal information to give them recommendations about content or advertising. – These are simple measures for us, which enable politicians to contribute to ensuring that young people avoid being exposed to content that causes them to become ill and have low self-esteem, to the same extent as now. What is dangerous about TikTok? Is it a spy app for China, or is it a harmless app where you can post dance videos and share food tips? Several countries are introducing bans on TikTok. What are they so afraid of?
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Young people who are on social media for more than three hours are more likely to self-harm – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
