Beth Tyson 🧠’s Post

🚀 Exciting News from the World of YouTube! 🎥 I was thrilled to hear that YouTube has stepped up its game in prioritizing the well-being of our youth! 📢 This week, they announced significant changes to their community guidelines aimed at protecting teenagers from content that can negatively impact their body image and self-esteem. As a society, we've often talked about the pressures young people face from social media, and it's refreshing to see a major platform like YouTube taking proactive steps. By limiting the promotion of videos centered on body image and fitness comparisons, they're addressing a critical issue that affects so many teens today. 🙌💪 These enhancements were informed by an advisory committee that highlighted the risks of exposing impressionable minds to harmful content. It’s a major leap toward fostering a healthier online environment for all users. Specifically, the updated guidelines will: ✅ Reduce visibility of videos that promote unrealistic body standards. ✅ Limit content that encourages comparisons between physical traits. ✅ Tackle bullying and social aggression in the context of fitness and appearance. I commend YouTube for launching these measures. It’s not just about watching videos; it’s about safeguarding our youth's mental health. 🌍❤️ Moreover, they're also launching crisis resource panels in select countries to support those facing more severe issues related to self-harm. Just imagine how many lives this can impact positively! Let’s join the conversation! How do you feel about these changes, and what more can be done to keep our digital spaces safe? 🌟 #YouTube #MentalHealthMatters #SocialMedia #CommunityGuidelines #YouthEmpowerment #BodyPositivity

How do parents empower their children to build their resilience, especially when it comes to social media? I’ve been asking myself these questions raising two tweens, and hearing similar within mums groups as parents struggle with this. Join me and award winning parenting coach Natalie Costa to talk about why happiness isn't the destination and explore how parents can better navigate big emotions so children feel grounded and empowered. What role can parents play when social media brings on feelings of doubt, guilt and overwhelm? If you’re asking yourself these questions, join us this International Day of Happiness, 22nd March at 12pm on Instagram. https://lnkd.in/ePiw67hF 🗓️ Add this reminder to your diary and join us live next week. #parenting #socialmediatips #instagram

More than a dozen states and the District of Columbia have filed lawsuits against TikTok on Tuesday, alleging the popular 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭-𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 app is harming youth mental health by designing its platform to be addictive to kids. At the heart of each lawsuit is the TikTok 𝒂𝒍𝒈𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒎, which powers what users see on the platform by populating the app’s main “For You” feed with content tailored to people’s interests. The lawsuits also emphasize design features that they say make children addicted to the platform, such as the ability to scroll endlessly through content, push notifications that come with built-in “buzzes” and face filters that create unattainable appearances for users. In its filings, the District of Columbia called the algorithm “dopamine-inducing,” and said it was created to be intentionally addictive so the company could trap many young users into excessive use and keep them on its app for hours on end. TikTok does this despite knowing that these behaviors will lead to “profound psychological and physiological harms,” such as anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia and other long-lasting problems, the complaint said. Now let's veer slightly to the left and consider what we are seeing in our LinkedIn feeds; 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭-𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨. Thankfully there's a video feed on the LinkedIn app now, which I've clicked once to see what it was. Otherwise I ignore it. I don't propose to know everything nor the best way to do everything. I would love insight to what LinkedIn is thinking and the strategy behind pushing and encouraging short form videos on it's platform. Is it to make it more inviting to Gen Z and Alpha? Gain more engagement metrics, sell more ads, at the cost of much more than profit to the overall membership of it's service? The silence from management has deafening. #TikTok #LinkedInNews #SocialMedia https://lnkd.in/eCMr_bEs

“The cost of not being able to set boundaries with kids has never been higher. Decades ago, if parents struggled to hold boundaries and tolerate pushback, a child may have had an extra cupcake or stayed out too late. Today the cost of not being able to set boundaries looks more like freely scrolling TikTok at age 8 or playing endless hours of video games at the expense of participating in the real world. I agree that we are facing a crisis—but I don’t see only a crisis of phones and social media. I also see a crisis of what I call “Sturdy Leadership” at a time when our kids need it more than ever.” Becky Kennedy As I reflect on Digital for Life Festival last week and the parents who came up to our booth asking for tips on how to manage their kids social media usage (something I also struggle with), this article points to such a simple insight about the importance of boundaries. Parenting doesn’t come with a handbook and many of us rely on intuition. But when it comes to growing up with devices we don’t have much to go on as we didn’t grow up with them ourselves, so it’s fair enough we might get lost along the way. This article is a timely reminder. https://lnkd.in/gvsPeVKf

Our very own Dr. Phillippi shares some helpful insights on how apps like Snapchat are affecting teens today in a recent article in the Northside Sun. One parent, Heather White, shared how she’s tackled the issue by setting a simple rule—no Snapchat after 10:30 p.m.—to help manage her kids’ screen time. It’s a small step that can make a big difference when it comes to balancing digital life and mental health. “It’s all about having open conversations with your kids about the impact of social media,” Dr. Phillippi says. Check out the full article for more tips on how to navigate the challenges of parenting in the digital age. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g627PUW5 #Parenting #TeenHealth #MentalHealth #Snapchat #DigitalWellness #TrustCare #DrPhillippi

My Thoughts for Today Blatant social media use is destroying children's lives! Sure, even adults struggle to find a healthy relationship with smartphones and social media. But for kids and adolescents it’s closer to a full-blown mental health crisis. In 2011, only 23% of American teens had a smartphone. Just five years later, 79% of them did! Between 2015 and 2022, the number of teens who said they were online “almost constantly” doubled! As social psychologist Jonathan Haidt describes in his book, "The Anxious Generation", all that screen time coincides with dramatic rises in teen depression, anxiety, and suicide. Haidt correctly highlights another aspect to his indictment: overprotective parenting. While kids are often left to navigate online life without any guardrails, parents are increasingly limiting their activities in the real world which has devastating consequences for their development into capable adults. It's time for all of us to take a cold hard look at where we are headed in this emerging environment. And it needs to happen now! #ccpn #future #education #socialmedia

Social media and the global mental health crisis 🌐 Arkansas recently filed a lawsuit against YouTube and parent company Alphabet, accusing the platform of fueling a mental health crisis. The lawsuit claims that YouTube is deliberately addictive, using dopamine hits and harmful material to drive engagement - and in turn, advertising revenue. As we see mental health problems increase alongside the rise of social media, it's clear that platforms are shaping our society in ways we never expected. Young people are particularly vulnerable to the influence of these platforms, which can amplify dangerous content and steer users down harmful paths. While YouTube claims to prioritize safer, age-appropriate experiences, the ease with which kids can bypass controls and consume unregulated content speaks to the larger issue at hand. It’s a global problem, not just one state’s lawsuit. In my opinion though, legal regulations, parental control, even self-control have serious limitations. It's human nature. We need to rethink how platforms are designed and operated in the first place, and balance business goals with user wellbeing - not for what feels good today, but what's healthy for years, decades, and generations to come. 💙 --- 🔔 I can help design safe and effective digital health projects - reach out to discuss how! #mentalhealth #socialmedia #addiction #digitalhealth #ethicaltech #wellbeing #youth

It’s no secret that TikTok can be addictive, but let’s not forget that most social media platforms use similar tactics to keep us hooked. From endless scrolling to personalized content, it’s all designed to keep us engaged longer. As concerns about youth mental health grow, it’s time to expand the conversation beyond just one app. We need to think about how we interact with all digital platforms. How do we balance staying connected without falling into the trap of overuse? #socialmedia #mentalhealth #digitalwellbeing #techresponsibility

I don't think a lot of people realize the influence TikTok has on our kids. Kids take a lot of their cues from it in their dress and their conduct. Jerry Mathers “The Beav” turns 76 tomorrow! The addictive nature of TikTok, combined with its constant stream of content, can have an impact on mental health, particularly for teenagers. Spending excessive time on the platform can lead to feelings of inadequacy, comparison, and reduced self-esteem. The curated content often showcases idealized versions of beauty, talent, and success, which can negatively affect the self-perception of vulnerable individuals. It is essential for users, especially teenagers, to be mindful of their screen time and maintain a healthy balance between online and offline activities. Engaging in activities that promote self-esteem, such as hobbies, physical exercise, and spending time with loved ones, can help counteract the potential negative effects of social media use. Read the entitire article entitled, “The Impact Of TikTok On Young People” @ https://lnkd.in/eZU-ayKW Get back to wholesome family basics and watch all the episodes of Leave It To Beaver @ https://lnkd.in/eN3UxHg8 #LeaveItToBeaver

I primarily use the LinkedIn platform to share valuable business/career information but feel this is an article worth sharing on a different topic.   Our children’s mental health is a real issue across our country, and we need to be aware of how they are being impacted by social media. Your first question may be, “But how can I affect thing” and I would say the following: ✔ Start at home and engage in conversations with your own kids to learn where they are challenged with anxiety, depression, fear, etc. (It takes more than one conversation but a continual pursuit of our kids) ✔ Be an example with your own social media – kids often learn from adults (they are watching a lot closer than we think). Parents/adult what example are we setting around our homes, in our communities, at restaurants when we are more focused on pictures of our food than the people with us? ✔ Engage in conversation with other adults to learn how they are seeking to help their kids. There is no great parenting handbook for the social media culture our kids are growing up in, but conversations with other parents can be a great place to refine ideas and strategies to help our kids. I share all this not from a perspective of having done things perfectly myself, but from the perspective of seeing teens in my community struggle with depression, anxiety, and unfortunately suicide. We can’t sit by and just watch!