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California Enacts Law Restricting Social Media Features for Users Under 16

California Enacts Law Restricting Social Media Features for Users Under 16

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 1709 into law, making California the first state to prohibit social media platforms from offering certain 'addictive' features to users under the age of 16. Authored by Assembly Member Josh Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, this new legislation targets features such as autoplay and algorithmic feeds that are based on user history and profiles. The law does not ban minors under 16 from accessing social media entirely but restricts their exposure to these engagement-maximizing functionalities. To oversee its implementation and enforcement, an e-Safety Advisory Commission will be established within the California Attorney General’s office. This move by California follows similar actions taken by other countries, including Australia, which has set a minimum age of 16 for all social media accounts, and France, which banned social media for children under 15. The legislation aims to mitigate the proven harms of social media overuse among minors, as highlighted by ...

Digital Detox Trend Shifts Towards Sustainable Screen Boundaries and Offline Engagement

Digital Detox Trend Shifts Towards Sustainable Screen Boundaries and Offline Engagement

Digital Detox Trend Shifts Towards Sustainable Screen Boundaries and Offline Engagement

Discord Implements Machine Learning for Age Assurance, Reducing Need for ID Verification

Discord Implements Machine Learning for Age Assurance, Reducing Need for ID Verification

Discord is rolling out a new age-assurance system that utilizes machine learning to classify user accounts as adult, teen, or unconfirmed. This system aims to estimate a user's age without requiring most accounts to submit identification documents. According to Discord, over 90% of users are expected to avoid a separate age check. The platform's CTO, Stanislav Vishnevskiy, stated that the system will not access private messages, voice calls, or profile content for age estimation. Instead, it analyzes usage patterns, including account age, aggregated activity, joined communities, device information, and the structure of relationships with other users and servers. For users who do not wish to rely solely on Discord's estimate, the platform may accept age information from trusted external providers like Apple, Google, digital wallets, or payment processors, depending on the region. This initiative comes as laws requiring age assurance are expanding globally, prompting platforms to seek less intrusive methods ...

Smartphones at Age 12 Linked to Increased Eating Disorder Symptoms by Age 14, Study Finds

Smartphones at Age 12 Linked to Increased Eating Disorder Symptoms by Age 14, Study Finds

A new study published in JAMA Network Open indicates that children who own smartphones by age 12 are significantly more likely to develop symptoms of eating disorders by age 14. The research, which surveyed nearly 9,000 adolescents across the United States, found that 70% of 12-year-olds owned a smartphone. Of this group, 24% reported at least one eating disorder symptom two years later, compared to less than 16% of teens who did not have a smartphone at age 12. Dr. Jason Nagata, the lead author and an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, highlighted that smartphones expose young people to appearance-focused content, which can foster unhealthy eating behaviors. The study suggests that the age at which children receive their first smartphone plays a crucial role in their vulnerability to such issues. Dr. Mitch Prinstein, co-director of the Winston Center on Technology and Brain Development, who was not involved in the study, noted that delaying smartphone access ...

Psychologist Rachel Tomlinson Advocates for Enhanced Emotional Intelligence in Boys to Counter Toxic Masculinity

Psychologist Rachel Tomlinson Advocates for Enhanced Emotional Intelligence in Boys to Counter Toxic Masculinity

Psychologist Rachel Tomlinson Advocates for Enhanced Emotional Intelligence in Boys to Counter Toxic Masculinity

U.S. Study Links Early Smartphone Ownership to Increased Eating Disorder Symptoms in Adolescents

U.S. Study Links Early Smartphone Ownership to Increased Eating Disorder Symptoms in Adolescents

A new study published in JAMA Network Open reveals a significant correlation between smartphone ownership at age 12 and the development of eating disorder symptoms by age 14 among U.S. adolescents. The research, which analyzed data from nearly 9,000 adolescents, found that 70% of 12-year-olds owned their own smartphone. Of these, 24% reported at least one eating disorder symptom two years later, compared to less than 16% of teens who did not own a smartphone at age 12. Dr. Jason Nagata, the study's lead author and an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, explained that smartphones expose young people to a vast amount of appearance-focused content, which can foster unhealthy eating behaviors. Kids with smartphones at 12 were twice as likely to link their self-worth to their weight and 1.5 times more likely to attempt weight control through methods like low-calorie diets or excessive exercise. The study suggests that while most major social media platforms set a mi...

AI Tools Reshape Consumer-Brand Relationships, Introducing New Intermediaries

AI Tools Reshape Consumer-Brand Relationships, Introducing New Intermediaries

TikTok reaches first state settlement over teen safety claims, agrees to user limits

TikTok reaches first state settlement over teen safety claims, agrees to user limits

By Diana Novak Jones Sept 25 (Reuters) - Alabama said on Friday it had reached a settlement with TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, that requires the social media platform to impose new usage limits and enhanced age-verification measures for users in the state, resolving claims that

Prince Harry warns AI chatbots can be more dangerous than social media for the young

Prince Harry warns AI chatbots can be more dangerous than social media for the young

Prince Harry says that artificial intelligence chatbots designed to provide companionship are even more dangerous to young people than social media

Prince Harry's AI speech cut short by teleprompter glitch

Prince Harry's AI speech cut short by teleprompter glitch

Prince Harry had to cut his speech regarding AI short due to a teleprompter error during the Clinton Global Initiative event in New York.

Prince Harry warns that AI chatbots may be more dangerous than social media for young users

Prince Harry warns that AI chatbots may be more dangerous than social media for young users

Prince Harry says that artificial intelligence chatbots designed to provide companionship are even more dangerous to young people than social media

New Mexico Task Force Recommends Eliminating K-2 Screen Time in Schools

New Mexico Task Force Recommends Eliminating K-2 Screen Time in Schools

A legislative task force in New Mexico has recommended that the state's education department consider issuing guidelines to eliminate screen time for students in kindergarten through second grade. The Screen Use Legislative Task Force, formed after House Memorial 2, conducted a study on screen time use in elementary classrooms. The task force, comprising Legislative Education Study Committee (LESC) analysts, New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) officials, district administrators, teachers, and students, cited research from the University of Michigan indicating that the average age children regularly engage with screen media is four months old. The recommendations also suggest minimizing nonessential screen time for K-12 students and limiting access to entertainment and social media applications. However, LESC Chair Sen. William Soules (D-Las Cruces) expressed concern that the legislative committee cannot compel the NMPED to act without direct statutory language. The task force advised placing gui...