Pope Francis expressed concern that social media can take a toll on the health of today’s young people as most of them spend hours consuming content, either by way of smartphone or television.
Meanwhile, in a separate interview in Australia, incumbent Prime Minister Anthony Albanese voiced the same views as Pope Francis as he is supporting ongoing campaigns aimed at prohibiting children aged 16 years below, from using social media platforms. Apparently there is growing evidence linking heavy social media use to the harms that adversely affect the mental health of young people.
Pope Francis Points out the Seriousness of Social Media’s Role as a Source of Information
Pope Francis voiced his concerns over the impact of social media last Monday during an hour-long interview with CBS.
The Pontiff said that although social media has benefits, the people behind the platforms have a serious responsibility in carrying out its role as a source of information for all people regardless of age. As it is, there are dirty media outlets that subsist primarily on gossip and in soiling people’s reputation. Constantly exposing young people to such content will have detrimental effects on young minds.
Another issue raised by the pope about today’s communication media platforms is their capability for alienating young people. Some platforms encourage children to live in a make believe or rosy world filled with fantasies. On the other hand, there are online platforms that expose children to the harsh realities of an agressive world, which can affect the healthy development of young people’s mind.
PM Albanese supports the idea of not allowing young people aged below 16 to create social media accounts, because at a young age, they tend to excessively engage in online activities. Doing so has potentially devastating effects on the mental health of young people. He remarked that while the exchange of harsh commentaries can affect even adults, they can also produce detrimental effects in the minds of children.