1) There are significant reports about young people being addicted to social media, resulting in problems such as depression and lack of social skills. Major social media companies are being sued charging that the platforms have been designed to give the “hits” similar to drugs, resulting in addiction.
Lawsuits, Minors, and Social Media Addiction: A Judge’s Warning Shot to Platforms
“The plaintiffs assert the platforms are engineered with addiction-creating design features that (1) prey on minors’ “already-heightened need for social comparison and interpersonal feedback-seeking” and (2) exploit “their relatively undeveloped prefrontal cortex” and brains’ “chemical reward system” through algorithmically controlled “intermittent variable rewards” of dopamine. In turn, such addiction supposedly spawns a raft of harms—anorexia, bulimia, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, suicidal ideation, and suicide—with the platforms’ designs encouraging minors to make “unhealthy, negative social comparisons” via features such as “appearance-altering filters.”
Patricia Burke did some digging and provided some very important information that was omitted in the article above. An excellent article, well worth the read.
Please note that the links to the 3 articles by Investigate Europe do not work. I have advised EH Trust and will share if/when active links are available.
Social Media Negligence and Fraudulent Concealment Court Case Alert: Children Are Not Adults
“Among the 7.91 billion people in the world as of 2022, 4.62 billion active social media users, and the average time individuals spent using the internet was 6 h 58 min per day with an average use of social media platforms of 2 h and 27 min (7). Despite their increasing ubiquity in people’s lives and the incredible advantages they offer to instantly interact with people, an increasing number of studies have linked social media use to negative mental health consequences, such as suicidality, loneliness, and anxiety (8)”
2) This webinar pertains to issues in the US that likely will be relevant to Canadians in the near future — loss of input by local government (slight as it is) over use of land and siting of telecom infrastructure such as cell towers. Information about the very interesting speakers can be found in the attachment.
(click on photo to enlarge)
Telecom bills are putting us at risk with our privacy, security and safety.
- Federal telecom bills that allow dangerous antennas outside your bedrooms and kids’ classrooms, and in local and national parks
- See Part 1-Attorneys discuss what this means for you, at:
WHAT CAN YOU DO? … SPEAK OUT!
LOBBYING TIPS
★ VIRTUAL TOWN HALL ★
Wed., Nov 1st, 2023, 4-6pm EDT, 1-3pm PDT
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvduGupzgpGNKzYPIVs3KsKJ-erXnO4pKva
We are honored to have the following experts:
Minna Elias, Attorney and Former Congressional Staffer
Charles Frohman, M.Ed., National Health Federation, Lobbyist
Maurice Franklin, PhD, Public Policy Consultant
Suanne Edmiston, Former Congressional Counsel
Julian Gresser, Attorney
Moderated by Odette Wilkens
Sharon Noble, Director, Citizens for Safer Tech
“Technology is causing a set of seemingly disconnected things – shortening of attention spans, polarization, outrage-ification of culture, mass narcissism, election engineering, addiction to technology.” Tristan Harris
Sent from my wired laptop with no wireless components. Practice Safe Tech.