In the digital world, children need more than warning labels

As screened media and personalized digital devices inject the lives of American children and teens, former US surgeon General Vivek Murthy has called for social media platforms to include warning labels I did. Is this a step in the right direction? That may be true, but ultimately, it is for us all to create more collective and sustainable solutions to keep young people safe in the digital world.

To work towards this future goal, we can first look at the impact of past laws. The Surgeon General has attached warning labels to cigarettes and alcohol products over the years, and to some extent these efforts have helped a lot. Remember when tobacco ads became popular on TV and in movies? Research shows that cartoon figures like Joe Camel and smoking in screened media are associated with pediatric smoking uptake.

This intake was so concerned that the master settlement agreement in 1998 required several large tobacco companies to refrain from placing paid tobacco products, and this move was a move that led to young people’s tobacco in movies. This led to a decrease in exposure. Subsequently, in 2012, the Surgeon General published a report saying: “The evidence is sufficient to conclude that there is a causal relationship between the film’s depiction of smoking and the onset of smoking among young people.”

Support from the surgeon general behind this concept was an important step to reduce substance abuse among young people, but it was just one part of the puzzle. Due to the low marketing of tobacco products in today’s films and television, other forms of dangerous marketing are permeating social media. Young people today can even play “AdverGames” (a game that focuses on advertising products) that includes alcoholic or cannabis-related content on Instagram and Meta.

To address this reality, interventions and prevention must be prioritized to reduce all levels of social impact. The basics are that children need to accept that they learn, grow and not develop in the bubble of isolation. Psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner proposed a socioecological model in 1979 that places children at the heart of multiple influences. Children’s environment is wider (government, mass media).

With the rise of personalized devices, media influence is now much more influential, affecting the formation of children’s identity through self-expression on social media. Just as there is interest in adults and children involved with peers who may promote their involvement with substance use, the media is said to be “superpears” that have similar impact on youth behavior.

Digital activities are more prevalent than face-to-face activities, and imagine bullying and bullying that occurs online). Digital activities are easy for young people to hide from adults (most children have multiple hidden social media accounts, or “Finstas, for example.”

For this reason, we all need to do our part in order to be successful in protecting young people from unsafe marketing and exposure. Policymakers should look to child safety when considering regulatory actions in industries that utilize digital marketing and product distribution. Schools must recognize the potential impact of demanding digitally involved homework. Parents need training in ways to maintain the safety and privacy of young people. And young people need direct training on how to maintain their safety and privacy online.

The Technical Parenting Model – an acronym that describes four evidence-based principles for home digital management – helps parents navigate this new landscape. Parents can tell their children about their media and technology use. Educate them about risk. They actively collaborate with technology and co-view media. Establish clear house rules regarding how media and technology is used.

Warning labels can only do that much. Our duty as compassionate adults and educators is to be active and present in the digital space and teach children how to maintain their health and safety online.

Dr. Joy Gabrielli is an assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Health Psychology at the University of Florida.