Two-thirds of Social Media Influencers Don’t Fact Check
What? According to a report by UNESCO (the United Nations’ education, scientific and cultural organization), “two-thirds of content creators fail to check the accuracy of their material” before posting.
So What? This is incredibly misleading to people, especially teenagers who consider social media influencers to be more credible than traditional news sources. Many of the creators who participated in the survey admitted to posting information based on “personal experience/encounter,” which is, by definition, very subjective. Others tested credibility by the “popularity” of a topic, a process that can be (and likely is) skewed by bots and fake accounts liking a post and raising it higher in feeds fed by algorithms.
Now What? UNESCO is urging content creators to change how they rate the reliability of their sources. The organization has even created a free online course with the University of Texas, for which 9,000 influencers have already registered. But parents and their kids should remain wary. “Trust but verify,” as an old Russian proverb (popularized by Ronald Reagan) reminds us. Some influencers may be reliable, but certainly not all are.
Self-Harm Images Are More Dangerous for Teens with a History of Self-Harm Behavior
What? A recent study by the Medical University of Vienna found that adolescents with a history of non-suicidal self-injurious behavior (NSSI) engage more and more quickly with images of self-harm on social media.
So What? The study revealed that teens with no history of NSSI were not significantly impacted by these images. But for teens with a history of NSSI, their reactions were stronger: These images were harder to turn away from. And they increased vulnerable teens’ urge to self-harm.
Now What? This study shows that when a teen is already at risk for a certain behavior, social media can exacerbate that problem. Talk to your kids about the harms of engaging with posts that might trigger negative reactions. Teach them to avoid content that causes distress. Instead, encourage them to engage with content uplifts them—or just take a break from screentime entirely.
What Do Parents Need to Know About ‘Pink Tote Lid Moments’?
What? Teenagers are posting their “Pink Tote Lid Moments” on social media, highlighting times when their parents lashed out at them for simple misunderstandings or seemingly unrelated issues, creating significant emotional distress. The trend began after a teen girl shared a tearful post after a fight with her parents about moving some totes with pink lids.
So What? Although the teen has since deleted the post and reassured her followers that her parents are not abusive, the trend has opened up a serious conversation about “displacement,” which Merriam-Webster defines as “the redirection of an emotion or impulse from its original object to another.”
Now What? When we’re stressed out, we’re more liable to lash out. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “48% of parents reported feeling overwhelmingly stressed on most days in 2023.” But mental health experts warn against posting “pink tote lid moments” on social media, since our kids will likely be influenced by responses from strangers. Rather, we’re encouraged to talk to our kids about these moments and own up to our mistakes. Validate their feelings and apologize so they won’t feel so inclined to work through traumatic incidents online.
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