The Psychological Impacts of Algorithmic and AI-Driven Social Media on Teenagers: A Call to Action

TL;DR

This paper explores how algorithmic and AI-driven social media negatively affect teenagers' mental health, emphasizing the need for policies and platform changes to safeguard their well-being.

Contribution

It highlights the paradoxical psychological impacts of social media algorithms on teenagers and calls for urgent action to improve platform safety and mental health support.

Findings

Algorithms contribute to adverse psychological effects on teenagers

Teenagers are disproportionately affected by curated online personas

The study advocates for policy and platform reforms

Abstract

This study investigates the meta-issues surrounding social media, which, while theoretically designed to enhance social interactions and improve our social lives by facilitating the sharing of personal experiences and life events, often results in adverse psychological impacts. Our investigation reveals a paradoxical outcome: rather than fostering closer relationships and improving social lives, the algorithms and structures that underlie social media platforms inadvertently contribute to a profound psychological impact on individuals, influencing them in unforeseen ways. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced among teenagers, who are disproportionately affected by curated online personas, peer pressure to present a perfect digital image, and the constant bombardment of notifications and updates that characterize their social media experience. As such, we issue a call to action for policymakers, platform developers, and educators to prioritize the well-being of teenagers in the digital age and work towards creating secure and safe social media platforms that protect the young from harm, online harassment, and exploitation.