Students Weigh in On Danger Posed by TikTok, Other Social Media Platforms

Social Media,

The Wall Street Journal recently invited college students to share their opinions regarding the dangers of social media giants like TikTok as part of the paper’s Future View segment.

TikTok boasts approximately one billion users worldwide — including 135 million or more in the U.S. — making it one of the most popular social media platforms on earth.

But the platform — and its Chinese-based parent company ByteDance — have long been under fire for serving kids a steady “diet of darkness” online and struggling to protect private user data from entities in China, such as the Chinese Communist Party.

In the opinion piece, one college student notes,

Teenagers have long encountered inappropriate content on the internet, but never has it been served to them on a silver platter the way it is now. The development of the “For You” page on TikTok, Instagram and other platforms has led to users being spoon-fed a range of posts from accounts they don’t follow. Since the algorithms prioritize engaging content, a single like, share or extended viewing of an inappropriate post from an unknown source can cause a teenager’s feed to be overloaded with similar unseemly posts.

Another writes,

The only proper response to TikTok is a permanent ban. . . . It is obvious that TikTok and the Chinese Communist Party behind it aren’t interested in enforcing and respecting any rules—they don’t play by them, and this won’t change.

TikTok has faced a great deal of criticism over the years from policymakers and concerned citizens.

Last month the Wall Street Journal highlighted how TikTok let accounts linked to the Chinese government spread misleading content targeting U.S. voters ahead of the 2024 election.

Earlier this year the U.S. Department of Justice sued TikTok for allegedly violating federal laws intended to protect children online.

In 2022, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security sharing concerns about TikTok’s operations in the U.S., saying in part,

TikTok captures vast amounts of private information on users, including American citizens, and has long been suspected of providing the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] with potential access to that information. This threatens the safety and security of American citizens, and also functions as an avenue for the Chinese government to track the locations of and develop blackmail on Federal employees and contractors.

U.S. Congressman Bruce Westerman wrote in March,

Although TikTok executives claim that it does not share any data collected by the app, there are several Chinese laws in place that provide CCP [Chinese Communist Party] officials access to all user data collected by Chinese-owned tech companies, like TikTok. This means the CCP has access to sensitive data, like the location of every TikTok user worldwide, including the over 210 million Americans who have downloaded the app.

Last year Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin filed two lawsuits against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance.

The A.G.’s lawsuits allege that TikTok and ByteDance failed to fully disclose that the company is subject to Chinese laws that mandate cooperation with intelligence activities of the People’s Republic of China and that TikTok aggressively collects sensitive user data.

Social media platforms are more than just websites or phone apps. These are multimillion dollar businesses owned and operated by investors and other interests. If the Chinese Communist Party can influence TikTok, the CCP may be able to manipulate content, influence users, and harvest data on one of the world’s largest social media platform. That’s a serious concern.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Experts Call for Action to Address Problem Gambling

Gambling, ,

Public health experts are calling for more action to address problem gambling.

Last week the Lancet Public Health Commission published a report highlighting concerns over gambling’s impact on public health and calling for “stronger policy and regulatory controls” to protect individuals, and families.

The report notes, “Gambling can inflict substantial harm on individuals, families, and communities. Beyond the obvious danger of financial losses and financial ruin, these harms can include loss of employment, broken relationships, health effects, and crime-related impacts. Gambling can heighten the risk of suicidality and domestic violence.”

The public health commission’s report calls attention to the gambling industry’s “strong partnerships” with media and sports, which helps make gambling look like harmless entertainment while downplaying its risks.

The report urges governments and other organizations to protect people by enacting stricter regulations on advertising, mandating clearer information on risks associated with gambling, and establishing better support for those harmed by gambling.

Gambling has expanded drastically in the past few years — especially online and in the form of sports betting. It has become more accessible, and millions of people are now at risk of suffering as a result.

For families and communities, especially in places like Arkansas, this public health report is particularly timely. The Arkansas Problem Gambling Council has seen a 22% increase in calls for help with problem gambling this year — a spike largely driven by sports betting. In spite of these problems, Saracen Casino in Pine Bluff has been pushing for a rule change that would likely make things worse by allowing casino-style gambling statewide on any smart phone or mobile device.

As powerful corporations try to make gambling part of everyday life, the Lancet report is a reminder of just how important it is for our laws to protect children and families.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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New Research Provides More Evidence That Marijuana Hurts Unborn Children

Marijuana

Research continues to show marijuana use during pregnancy hurts unborn children.

A study published on Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics highlighted how marijuana exposure in the womb is linked to poorer attention span, worse planning abilities, and with increased aggression during early childhood.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time researchers have found evidence that marijuana use during pregnancy is dangerous.

A 2021 study out of California found infants were 35% more likely to die within a year of birth if their mother used marijuana heavily, and that infants were more likely to be born preterm, have a low birth weight, and be small for their gestational age.

A 2023 study published in the journal Frontiers In Pediatrics found marijuana use during pregnancy could decrease a newborn’s birthweight by approximately one-third of a pound.

Writing in JAMA Internal Medicine over the summer, researchers announced that using marijuana during pregnancy raises a woman’s risk of developing gestational hypertension (high blood pressure), preeclampsia, weight gain, and placental abruption.

And a study published this year found women who used marijuana during pregnancy faced a staggering 631% greater risk of fetal death.

All of this underscores what we have said for year: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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