When social media opened its portals about two decades ago, most users reacted with a sense of wonder. It was almost like stepping into a brave new world of promise. The onboarding was seamless, it involved no cost and offered opportunities for new and profitable connections. But over time, social media companies faced scrutiny across the globe for the impact of their algorithmic curation and monetisation of the attention economy.
India has an estimated 50 crore unique social media users, according to research firm DataReportal. With cheap data plans and wide access to the internet and smartphones, the country’s market potential is attractive to social media companies. Thus, the conduct of Big Tech is of relevance to users in India.
Recently, a California jury awarded $6 million in damages to a young woman after finding Meta and Google liable for mental health harm caused by their addictive platforms that she began using as a child. The landmark judgement considered the structural design of the platforms and their algorithm-driven operations that reward prolonged engagement and doomscrolling. While laws in most countries delink social media companies from liability for the content, this judgement points to something more basic—product design that aims to keep users engaged and addicted.
The effect of social media on children is an area of emerging concern. Researchers have pointed out that children on these platforms are the most vulnerable, not only to inappropriate content but also to behavioural and developmental issues. The amount of time spent on social media affects academic performance, disrupts sleep and alters social dynamics.
Psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, talks about the shift from a play-based childhood to a screen-based one. In the latter, a craving for validation triggers a dopamine loop—when there is diminishing reinforcement, it results in withdrawal and mental health issues. This rewiring of children’s brains when they are at a crucial developmental stage has raised alarms in several countries, with Australia being the first nation to ban social media platforms for children under 16 years. Others like Malaysia, France and Denmark are also in the process of implementing social media bans for children.
In India, the area of law governed by the Information and Technology Act, 2000 and its rules has focused on laying down timelines to take down prohibited content, deepfakes and tackle the spread of misinformation. While platforms are protected by ‘safe harbour’ rules from liability for content, there are changes being proposed in these rules, a move that has raised concerns about freedom of expression and excessive regulation. However, the urgent debate now is about curbing social media use for young children to tackle screen addiction, erase exposure to unsafe online content and tackle mental health issues.
Karnataka has proposed and Andhra Pradesh is contemplating a law on this issue. These measures have received the support of educationists who are in a position to observe first- hand the deterioration in the quality of learning and increased distraction. Questions are also being raised about screen-based learning devices that, while allowing access to large troves of information, encourage scrolling and fail to incentivise in-depth analysis. A trope for the current times is ‘writing with thumbs’, which seems to prevail over using the brain. With the added use of artificial intelligence tools, the future trajectory of social media growth appears nothing short of dizzying.
However, legislation alone will not be able to handle the growing problems associated with excessive social media use in children. Age verification checks are not foolproof. Parents and guardians need to take measures to ensure that the potential for long-term damage is nixed. Research has shown that when children at a sensitive stage of development are subject to a constant barrage of posts and feeds, it affects the neuro-plasticity of their brain. Reward-seeking on social media promotes imitative and performative behaviour.
On the other hand, a game of sports that also results in a dopamine rush helps children navigate the dynamics of the playground and has robust learning outcomes. The need for unstructured time, like when one is bored, is essential for self-discovery and stumbling upon new interests. This is difficult in times where 24x7 feeds provide tailor-made immersive experiences.
The fact is that social media is here to stay. For many adults, it is a platform for staying connected, doing business, entertainment and even learning. Among senior citizens, it is known to reduce feelings of loneliness. If used within boundaries, social media can be beneficial. Hence it’s essential to create awareness and understanding of the model on which social media is built.
These platforms read their users like a book. However, their business practices are opaque. Harvesting of user data, privacy concerns and profits made by social media companies need to be subjects of informed debate. This would help users practise screen hygiene, like limiting time usage and not oversharing private information. For though tech will continue to dominate the world, digitised knowledge and algorithms are in no position to solve all the problems that emerge. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, has stated in a recent interview, “I don’t want people looking at the smartphone more than they’re looking in someone’s eyes; as if they’re scrolling endlessly.” While screens have their uses, interaction with other living creatures, which has been a pivot over the ages, will always remain valuable.
Geetha Ravichandran
Former bureaucrat and author of The Spell of the Rain Tree
(Views are personal)