Inleiding en context

Goede morgen allemaal op deze maandagmorgen 27 februari 2023. Ik begin de week met een vrolijk liedje: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOb2RascfdM Ik was een weekje in Yerevan, Armenië, deels voor de lol en deels om wat presentaties over werkzame criminaliteitspreventie en evidence based beleid te geven voor politie, OM en het ministerie van Justitie aldaar. Erg aardige mensen die hun best doen om met de middelen die er zijn criminaliteitspreventief beleid van de grond te krijgen. Maar goed nu naar de bijgesloten ´kennisparel´ van vandaag.

Bijgesloten ´kennisparel´ biedt een overzicht van beschikbaar onderzoek naar de invloed van het alomtegenwoordig gebruik van sociale media op de ontwikkeling van kinderen en jongeren. Gezien de vele voordelen die kinderen halen uit verbondenheid via sociale media, richt dit onderzoek zich op problematisch gebruik en de mogelijke schadelijke gevolgen die voortvloeien uit inhoud, contact, gedrag en contractrisico’s. Interventies en maatregelen hiertegen worden gepresenteerd in het licht van de huidige ontwikkelingen in het EU-beleid en de regelgeving. Hierbij wordt in het bijzonder aandacht geschonken voor het waarborgen dat kinderen beschermd, veilig en risico´s op slachtofferschap verminderen zijn wanneer ze online gaan op sociale media.

Bron

O’Neill, Brian (February 2023). The influence of social media on the development of children and young people. Brussels: European Parliament, Policy Department for Structural and Cohesion

Policies, 84 pp. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2023/733109/IPOL_STU(2023)733109_EN.pdf

Summary

This study examines research on the impact of pervasive social media use on children’s and young people’s development. Acknowledging the many benefits children gain from being connected through social media, this study focuses on problematic use and the potential harm that may arise from content, contact, conduct and contract risks. Solutions are considered in light of EU policy and regulatory developments with particular reference to ensuring that children are protected, safe and empowered when they go online.

Social media are pervasive in the lives of European children and young people through which they encounter a diverse range of content, contact, conduct and contract risks. Solutions to the challenges that social media pose for children’s development are not easily addressed given the complex way in which risks and opportunities are intertwined. In this study, the focus is on problematic use and the potential harm social media may have for children’s development. However, the many benefits children gain from being connected through social media also need to be acknowledged.

Children are routinely exposed to harmful online content on social media platforms such as cyberhate, sexualised content, gory or violent images, content that promotes eating disorders, and disinformation. Harmful effects for children’s development include potential increased aggression, problematic sexual behaviours, unhealthy eating habits, body image dissatisfaction and distorted values and attitudes. Some studies have also pointed to regular youth exposure to extremist content on social media though more research is needed on its effects. Media literacy and supportive family or peer environments have been found to be moderating influences.

Harmful online contacts with adults can give rise to risks of sexual exploitation, harassment and threats of extortion. Children generally report confidence in managing the risks of meeting new people online which is an everyday experience for many young people. However, studies highlight gaps in children’s awareness of the risks and their coping strategies with unfamiliar situations. In addition, vulnerable children may be more at risk.

Conduct risks on social media platforms arise from aggressive or bullying peer-to-peer behaviour and have been found to have serious adverse effects for younger users. Being a victim of cyberbullying is a persistent risk that children face and is commonplace. Some associations with problematic social media use and bullying others have been found. Social-emotional learning, mentoring, and education on online safety have all played positive roles in countering victimisation risks.

Sexual messaging and sharing of sexual images, known to be increasingly normalised among young people, also gives rise to risks and potential harms. Unwanted requests for sexual information are a cause of distress for young people while the non-consensual sharing of intimate images is a source of severe harm and trauma.

Participation in harmful online communities (promoting self-harm, suicide etc.) is also a potential source of harm though other contributory factors to poor mental health also need to be considered.

Children face wide-ranging contract risks through unfair practices, clickbait strategies and hidden marketing practices that contravene their rights and ignore their best interests. Algorithm-based recommendation systems constitute a significant factor in increasing risks to children, with research showing that children have little awareness of how such systems work.

Children’s mental health and well-being is a vital area to consider concerning social media. This is a complex area which involves many different and interrelated risk manifestations. The evidence for either a positive or negative impact on children’s health and well-being is mixed and inconclusive. Probing the outcomes of problematic social media use – reported by only a minority of children – is an important priority for research.

Afsluitend

Sociale media nemen een prominente plaats in het leven van kinderen en jongeren en spelen een centrale rol in de manier waarop zij digitale technologieën integreren in hun dagelijks leven. Die ontwikkeling is niet meer te stoppen of terug te dringen, het is een feit. De interactiviteit en het delen van inhoud is altijd al een centraal kenmerk van het Internet zijn geweest. De opkomst van sociale mediaplatforms in de afgelopen twee decennia en de eenvoudige toegang die smartphones bieden hebben meer bijgedragen aan de digitale acceptatie bij kinderen dan bijna elk ander aspect van digitalisering.

Voortdurend evoluerend en hun integratie in bijna elk facet van het dagelijks leven verdiepend, blijven sociale media en het onderliggende model van sociale netwerken de ervaring van miljarden jongeren over de hele wereld vormgeven en transformeren. Het is zaak om de rouwrandjes van deze ontwikkeling scherp in de gaten te houden en adequate maatregelen te nemen om die negatieve effecten, zoals het plaatsen van illegale inhoud, tegen te gaan. Bijgesloten ´kennisparel´ biedt daartoe prima suggesties.