Social psychologist Jonathan HydetThe author of the book Anxiety generation, Beware of the increasing risks of what you call “unprotected digital childhood”, as a result of early exposure to platforms such as Tikhakand Instagram E YouTube Not only as users, but also as products provided to the advertising market.
“We are not customer of these platforms. We are the product. Customers are advertisers. And when parents put their children to be influential, what they do, in practice, is to sell children’s attention to these advertisers. ” CNN interviews this week.
phenomenon “Mini influencers” Children with thousands or even millions of followers are celebrated in many families as an opportunity for early success. But for Hida, this is the deviant logic.
“It is not an innocent way to earn money. We must be against. This should be illegal. You get money when selling your child. Psychologist says, one of the most influential voices today about a debate about the effects of social networks on mental health for children and adolescents, this is what happens.
It passes through Brazil, where he participates within the limits of thought, Haidt argues that a legal age is created for children to work as digital influencers as a way to protect them from the commercial logic that permeates the so-called economy-based economy- Seizure of people’s time and concentrationAnd especially the younger.
Distraction price
In addition to exposure to advertising, Haydt refers to other more disturbing side effects: Destroy the focus capacity. As he put it, he is the greatest evil caused by this excessive childhood.
“If you cannot focus for 30 minutes without interruption, you cannot do anything in this world. And he said to CNN.
The statement exceeds a behavioral alert: it is a diagnosis of educational, cognitive and economic influence. For psychology, a whole generation is formed with a less concentrated capacity, which can harm their school performance, professional independence, and even future productivity of societies. And he said to CNN interviews.
Organization and social agreement
Looking at this scenario, Hydet proposes a mixture of social and social measures.
It praises countries like Australia – which has approved the law that requires less than 16 years to open accounts on social networks – and Brazil, which banned this year the use of mobile phones in public and private schools during classrooms and separators.
But he warns that the laws alone are not sufficient.
Parents, schools and societies need to create common social standards, which define limits to reach and use screens since childhood.
In the book, which is among the best sales in the world for more than a year, HEID has four proposals to contain damage to social networks.
- Block smartphones before 14;
- Allowing to reach social networks only after 16;
- Implementation of free schools for mobile phones;
- Encouraging independent outdoor games with more childish responsibility.
The first two measurements, as it was, requires government organization. Others, on the other hand, depend on a social agreement between families – which is believed to unite politically revised countries.
“Republicans and Democrats have children. Supporters Lula and Polsonaro as well. There was no time when all parents in the world faced the same enemy. “
Childhood at risk, the future at stake
The echoes of Hida’s speech like a Global alert.
While children and adolescents have their routine formed by algorithms and their interest alternately with ads, the psychologist calls us to think: Who educates our children? Families or platforms?
For him, the answer to this question is not only the emotional luxury of future generations, but also in the future of society.