Social media and youth: to manage or to ban

With Anne-Linda Camerini, lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, we try to understand how to address the use of social media among children and teenagers. This challenging task is the focus of the monthly column curated by USI's Institutional Communication Service and published in the pages of La Regione.

We talked about social media, smartphones, and the Internet with Anne-Linda Camerini, professor and researcher at the Institute of Public Health of the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences at USI. She is the creator of the website www.mediaticino.usi.ch, which aims to provide information about the research and communication projects conducted by her group. The website aims to enhance our understanding of how digital media affects the well-being and development of children and teenagers in Ticino and beyond. The site contains downloadable documents that cover various topics related to these age groups, serving as a resource for parents, teachers, and young people who want to learn more about these issues.

The first research project - from which the website got its name - was Mediaticino. This study began in 2014 and followed over 1,000 students in Ticino for up to eight years as they made the transition from elementary school to high school, encompassing their entire adolescent period. Another notable project is the SNSF Agorà "Are You Connected?" carried out from 2021 to 2022. This project focuses on the careful use of smartphones, especially among children and teenagers, and builds on the findings of the Mediaticino research. The "Are You Connected?" project, funded by SNSF, features a collaboration between L'Ideatorio Cadro, Lugano Living Lab, and Ibsa Foundation and is managed by Anne-Linda Camerini and Laura Marciano of the Institute of Public Health.

The topic of "children and social media" is currently a much-debated issue that involves physicians, psychologists, teachers, legislators, as well as the primary actors: children and parents. Today, what exactly do we mean when we refer to "social media?"

Social media are currently very different from the first platforms, such as Facebook, which was primarily created for people to connect, chat, interact with peers, friends, and family, share opinions and ideas, and receive responses and reactions. Since then, there has been an evolution, and today, the "social" aspect, as it was once understood, is missing. Instead, it is a collection of everything users want to know, or that comes to mind. It's like a small window into the world, almost like everyone's mini TV, with content shared among people who often do not know each other. Social media have evolved into a platform for sharing a wide range of content, like topics, themes, theses, videos, and images. However, the focus has shifted away from direct interaction and meaningful conversations. It's now more about sharing entertaining and diverse content with others, often to keep up with trends. Instead of fostering interaction, each platform has become a showcase for visibility, transforming the original idea of "social media."

With just one click on social media, people can satisfy their curiosities and desires and access all human knowledge. Teenagers, like everyone else, are especially drawn to this digital world. It's interesting to understand how young people engage with their digital lives and determine when smartphone and social media usage becomes a problem or an addiction. If it does become an issue, it's important to figure out what can be done about it.

Social media can be used to inform and educate, but it's important to use them carefully. This is especially true for adolescents who may come across inappropriate content without parental supervision or guidance. The key is to be aware of the kind of content and potential risks present on social media platforms, as some content may not be suitable or legal. It's crucial to educate people about these possible risks while also considering the positive aspects, such as the opportunity to access information, social support, and be creative.

Emphasising the significance of critical thinking in deciding what to do and watch is a crucial responsibility for parents, families, and, ideally, schools, which are partially involved as part of the cantonal curricula.

When kids are young, limiting their screen time using authority is easy. But it becomes more challenging as they grow up and want more freedom. So, how can families intervene? Parents, or whoever is responsible, can take several approaches. It's important to set boundaries, not just outright ban things. You can protect kids by controlling their access to specific platforms or allowing access only when you're nearby to monitor their activity and intervene if necessary. Adults can also use filters and set time limits to keep better control and step in if rules are broken, possibly imposing timeouts. The challenge is that parents often don't know about or can't manage these tools, while kids can quickly learn to get around them. We need to change our approach to "trust" by shifting from simply forbidding certain behaviours to actively providing support. The focus should be on having open conversations about online content and the potential risks of using the internet and social media. This will help young people use digital platforms safely and responsibly. They should be able to critically evaluate the information they come across and their own actions.

So, what would you advise parents to do?

They need to keep an eye on their children and enter into what they call in scientific literature an "active mediation," with the parent taking an interest in what the child is doing and seeking a dialogue: "What are you doing? What's bothering you? Do you know that you have to be careful, that there are certain risks? and explain them?" It's important to maintain an open dialogue and show genuine interest in your child's media preferences. Actively engage with them by asking about their current interests, suggesting activities like watching a series together or playing their favourite video game and discussing it. This helps foster a close and engaged relationship. As they mature, gradually allow more freedom. While this isn't an easy task, parents should educate themselves by reading available books and joining platforms to understand what they offer. It's important to remember that children should not neglect other activities that benefit their development. They need to get enough sleep and distribute their time equally between school, sports, leisure, and media. Currently, the issue of "children and media" is receiving a lot of attention and concern at many levels. This has led to international discussions about restricting and banning, pointing the finger at platforms. The problem arises from varying sensitivities and attitudes towards individual freedom.

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