In late January, Meta revealed plans to enhance the safety of teen users by implementing measures to block access to content on Instagram and Facebook deemed harmful, such as material related to suicide and eating disorders.
This move aligns with increasing pressure from federal and state governments urging social media companies to prioritize safety for teens. In fact, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing Jan. 31 on social media risks for young people with major tech CEOs (from Meta, X, TikTok, Snap and Discord) testifying on their efforts to protect minors from sexual exploitation.
In a recent article for The Conversation, Afsaneh Razi, PhD, assistant professor of information science at Drexel University’s College of Computing & Informatics (CCI), discusses these events through the lens of her research on teen social media interactions and the effectiveness of safety measures.
Razi’s findings emphasize the importance of balancing user protection with maintaining privacy and autonomy online, suggesting a set of steps — specifically leveraging artificial intelligence — that social media platforms could adopt for a more comprehensive approach to online safety.
For more insights, read the full article on The Conversation here.