September – Our Kid’s Digital World
My childhood television experience was in black and white, with no remote, and only three channels. All three channels went off at 10:00 or 11:00 at night, closing with the National Anthem. We had no computers, no smartphones, FaceTime, or ChatGPT. I’ve taken for granted how wonderful and safe I was. Did you follow the Meta case? This is a multi-state court case against the parent company of Facebook and Instagram that will have far-reaching effects on how our students interact with social media. The suit claimed that Meta violated the privacy of children by developing psychologically manipulative features on its platforms that are designed to keep children continually engaged and scrolling. In all, 29 attorneys general from both political parties are involved in this lawsuit. Meta lost their suit and agreed to pay $17.1 billion.
Scrolling and internet surfing have created new vocabulary that describes the negative behaviors exhibited by our young people. The 2020 Word of the Year was Doomscrolling-a habitual, immersive scanning of negative information on a social media newsfeed. Middle School girls, who might already have a poor self-image, get their negative feelings falsely validated on certain sites that the internet permits them to go to because there are no guardrails. The 2026 Word of the Year is Bed Rotting- the practice of spending many hours in bed on a device, scrolling for an extended period of time, usually during the day, at the expense of healthy activities. Most recent studies in adolescents have directly linked social media to anxiety, depression, and emotional dysregulation. And let’s not forget that ChatGPT can actually encourage a young person to reconsider the worth of their life!
A 2025 study found that among students who owned a smartphone by age 12, there was an associated link to a higher risk of depression, anxiety, obesity, sleep disorders, and academic issues. We have not even discussed the exposure to different ideas, thought processes, and impressions of the world that a parent may not be ready to discuss.
It is so important to know what your children are reading and seeing, and now, with ChatGPT and similar platforms, talking to! Become more familiar with your child’s devices and what is on them. Don’t assume your child knows right from wrong in the cyber world.
Resources:
Is AI Safe for Children?
The Dark Side of AI: Risks to Children
Internet Safety for Kids and Teens
FBI – Staying Safe Online
