SINGAPORE – Addiction and doom scrolling are the most commonly cited harms of social media use for young people, followed closely by cyberbullying and inappropriate content.
These findings come from a new report published on Sept 14 by YouthTechSG, a youth-led charity.
Through focus group discussions, street interviews and an online poll, the study examined how young people experience social media and the harms they encounter.
It also explored the protection young people consider practical and trustworthy, with combined responses from 227 people aged between 13 and 35.
More than one in five of the 116 respondents who took part in the focus group discussions and street interviews cited addiction and doom scrolling as the most common harm they experience on social media.
This is followed by cyberbullying, toxicity and inappropriate content.
Nearly half of the 111 online poll respondents said that platform-design mechanisms such as infinite scroll and recommendation systems are the primary source of harm.
Other commonly cited sources of harm are user- or AI-generated content and unwanted messages.
“User behaviour remains an important part of the explanation for poor online conduct,” YouthTechSG said in its Youth Digital Pulse Report.
The report added that anonymity, reduced social cues and physical distance can weaken the restraints that are usually present in face-to-face interactions.
Read Full Article At Source
