
How TikTok Harms Kids on an ‘Industrial Scale’
By Movieguide® Contributor
TikTok’s Jan. 19 ban lasted less than 24 hours, and with its reinstatement, many users rejoiced. However, one expert warns that it would be better for young people’s mental health if the app never returned.
“Americans should welcome the disappearance of TikTok because the company is causing harm to children, adolescents, and young adults at an industrial scale,” Jonathan Haidt, a New York University social psychologist and the author of “The Anxious Generation,” argued in his recent blog post.
He broke down the five “clusters of harm” TikTok causes to children:
- Addictive, compulsive, and problematic use
- Depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia, self-harm, and suicide
- Porn, violence, and drugs
- Sextortion, CSAM, and sexual exploitation
- TikTok knows about underage use and takes little action
Social media dominates most teens’ time. Pew Research found that nearly 35% of those between 13 and 17 are “constantly” on TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.
TikTok is especially addictive because of its algorithm.
“The reason kids watch TikTok is because the algo[rithm] is really good…But I think we need to be cognizant of what it might mean for other opportunities. And when I say other opportunities, I literally mean sleep, and eating, and moving around the room, and looking at somebody in the eyes,” a redacted portion of the Kentucky Attorney General’s brief against TikTok stated.
READ MORE: WOULD THE UNITED STATES EVER BAN CHILD SOCIAL MEDIA USE?
“Kids are spending much less time being with each other, engaging with each other [in person], which is crucial for social development,” Zach Rausch, Haidt’s co-author of the blog post, said. “America would be much better off if TikTok were to go dark.”
Even if TikTok isn’t banned, it’s still possible to combat harmful social media use. We just have to change cultural norms.
“It is a thorny issue to deal with,” Rausch explained. “But by creating other spaces, by setting new norms, by making it normal to not be on social media all the time, that will create a lot of new opportunities and spaces for young people.”
READ MORE: DO AMERICANS SUPPORT THE TIKTOK BAN?