Key points:
Fueled by growing concerns about youth well-being and social media use, a new report from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Children’s Online Health and Safety Task Force offers recommendations and best practices for safer use of social media and online platforms for young people.
Approximately 95 percent of teenagers and 40 percent of children between the ages of eight and twelve use some form of social media. Digital technology use can both harm young people's well-being and expose them to significant harms.
Social media use has been associated with physical and mental health risks, including exposure to online bullying, harassment and abuse, discrimination, and child sexual exploitation. In addition, teens seeking information about health and safety issues online are at risk of encountering inaccurate information that may prove unhelpful or actively dangerous.
The report's recommendations, Online health and safety for children and young people: best practices for families and guidance for industry, highlight the Administration’s efforts to address the ongoing youth mental health crisis and support the President’s Unity Agenda for the nation.
“Across the Biden-Harris administration, we are committed to combating the youth mental health crisis in this country and ensuring that Americans have the tools and support they need to thrive online,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “As children spend more and more time online, this administration is taking steps to protect their privacy and mental health. The recommendations in our report will chart a path toward an internet that works for everyone.”
The Biden-Harris Administration's Children's Internet Health and Safety Task Force is co-led by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC).
Task force members also committed to taking future steps, including providing more resources for children, adolescents and families, guidance for pediatricians and conducting more research.
“President Biden has made addressing the youth mental health crisis a top priority. That’s why we’re taking steps to ensure the safety and well-being of young people when they use social media and online platforms,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “The Biden-Harris administration has a whole-of-government approach to protecting young people’s mental health, safety, and privacy online, but it will take more than government alone to achieve results.”
The report provides an overview of the risks and benefits of social media for youth health, safety, and privacy; best practices for parents and caregivers; recommended practices for industry; a research agenda; and suggestions for future work, including for the federal government. Youth advocates, civil society organizations, academic researchers, and other experts provided input into the Task Force's recommendations.
“SAMHSA is focused on helping young people, their parents, caregivers, and others protect their mental health when using social media and online platforms,” said Task Force Co-Chair Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use at HHS and the leader of SAMHSA. “We know that while there are some benefits to using this technology, such as building connections and supportive communities, there are also important reasons for concern, and we want to reduce potential harms as much as possible so that young people can thrive.”
“As young people spend more of their lives online, it is time to act and do more to protect them,” said Task Force Co-Chair Alan Davidson, Under Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and Administrator of the NTIA. “This Task Force report outlines practices and design choices that companies can implement today to prioritize children’s privacy, well-being, and ability to thrive online. Our report suggests changes that will help young people navigate safely and enjoy all the benefits the Internet has to offer, while minimizing the risks they face.”
Industry Recommendations
The task force identified 10 best practices that online service providers should implement to develop and operate their platforms with the well-being of young people in mind. Companies make design choices that shape children’s online experiences, and those choices can contribute to or alleviate harm. This report calls on the industry to make design choices that prioritize children’s well-being. This includes guidance on ways to:
- Designing age-appropriate experiences for young users
- Make protecting young people's privacy the default option
- Reduce and eliminate features that encourage excessive or problematic use by young people
- Limiting “likes” and social comparison features for young people by default
- Develop and implement mechanisms and strategies to counter child sexual exploitation and abuse
- Disclose accurate and complete information related to application security.
- Improving systems to address bias and discrimination faced by young people online
- Use data-driven methods to detect and prevent cyberbullying and other forms of online harassment and abuse
- Provide age-appropriate parental control tools that are easy to understand and use.
- Making data accessible for verified, qualified and independent research
Resources for parents and caregivers
Best practices and resources for parents and caregivers include an overarching framework, strategies for parents and caregivers, handouts and talking points to help children engage in conversations about online platforms and technology use, and a compendium of resources for parents and caregivers. Many of these materials were developed in coordination with the SAMHSA-funded program. Center of Excellence in Social Media and Youth Mental Health directed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
“The American Academy of Pediatrics supports the Children’s Internet Safety Task Force report released today and commends SAMHSA and the Department of Commerce for addressing the impact of social media on youth mental health,” said Dr. Megan Moreno, medical co-director of the SAMHSA-funded AAP Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health. “To help make the report’s recommendations accessible and practical, we’ve released new resources for families and those who work with them, including conversation starters and activities to help parents and caregivers know what to say and how to begin building critical skills. We’re pleased to be a strong partner in this work.”
“It is encouraging that our leaders are paying attention to the risks, uses and opportunities associated with Internet access and social media. However, the role of parents and caregivers remains the same. In the past, we might teach our children to look both ways before crossing the street. Now, when it comes to the Internet and social media, we need to teach them to look both ways.” all ways, including ways we haven't even imagined yet,” said Dr. Suzanne Barchers, educational advisor at LingoKids.
“Adults need to have an ongoing conversation about screen use. Family meetings that set parameters are critical. However, it’s not enough to have a single conversation about online predators or scammers. Kids understand information at different levels at different times. Conversations need to be ongoing. Parents can also regularly check Common Sense Media, a site that rates and advises on all media content, from current movies and books to safe and educational apps,” Barchers added. “At the same time, they should be on the lookout for signs of depression, excessive phone or social media use, or changes in eating or sleeping habits. If signs become problematic, it’s time to dig deeper, reminding your kids that you are responsible for their health and safety while living at home, no matter their age.”
In collaboration with the Children’s Internet Health and Safety Working Group, the AAP Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health is also launching a variety of new web content, including: recommended best practice resources by topic and/or audience; a series of age-based handouts for parents that pediatricians and others can distribute at well-child visits; new clinical case examples for pediatricians and other clinicians that demonstrate how to integrate conversations about media use into health visits with adolescent patients; and expanded content specifically for teens.
Next steps
The report concludes with recommendations for policymakers on next steps, including:
- Enact bipartisan federal legislation to protect the health, safety, and privacy of young people online
- Promote industry action to implement age-appropriate health, safety, and privacy best practices on online platforms through federal legislation and voluntary commitments
- We work to require independent researchers to access platform data in ways that preserve privacy.
- Provide support for research on youth privacy, health, and safety online;
- Promoting the voice of young people in the search for solutions
- Support access to new and updated resources designed for youth, parents, health providers, educators, and online platforms.
- Participation in international efforts to collaborate on online security
This press release Originally appeared online.
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