How to combat the overuse of social networks by children and adolescents? An existential question that every country in the world, with the exception of Australia, struggles to answer.
California considers law (AB 56) requiring social networks to display warnings about their potentially harmful effects on children and adolescents. These “black boxes” would appear on first use and then every week, aiming to raise awareness of mental health risks, exacerbated by addictive content and features.
This project echoes similar actions, such as a national regulatory proposal (KOSA) and lawsuits against TikTok and Meta for addictive exploitation. TikTok which could also be banned from the United States at the beginning of next year. The debate on the responsibility of platforms remains crucial for young people although it has gone backwards rather than forwards in recent years.
Explanation from Rob Bonta, Attorney General of California:
If passed, social networks would have to display a “black box warning” to all users, regardless of age, when they first use the platform.
The warning, which platforms must display for 90 seconds or more, would then appear at least once a week after its initial appearance.
As the expression goes, “it’s better than nothing” but it’s far from enough. On the other side of the world, Australia has opted for the most radical option, namely the ban on social networks for under 16s. Without taking such an extreme approach, stricter methods could likely reduce the negative impacts of social media on young people’s mental health. A dismaying figure: 40% of children under 13 use social networks.
The Californian proposal shows its limits even before being adopted. If we take the example of other sectors, simply displaying a warning message is not enough to dissuade consumers. The messages on cigarette packets or the boxes at the bottom of sports betting advertisements are perfect examples.
