A recent study reveals that children are encountering distressing content on social media platforms, such as reports on the passing of Liam Payne and the tragic death of Charlie Kirk. According to research conducted by Internet Matters, six out of 10 kids who engage with news on social media were exposed to stories that caused them worry or distress in June. These stories often revolved around themes of war, conflict, violence, death, and crisis situations.
The non-profit organization expressed concerns that algorithms are inundating children’s social media feeds with graphic content that they find unsettling. Additionally, there are worries about the proliferation of AI-generated content, with over a quarter (27%) of children admitting to falling for fake news stories.
The report highlighted that vulnerable children, including those with special educational needs or health conditions, were more susceptible to believing fake or AI-generated stories. Nearly half (43%) of these vulnerable children fell for fake news, a higher rate compared to non-vulnerable children (23%).
One 17-year-old girl shared her experience, stating, “Today I’ve seen about three videos of natural disasters like hurricanes and floods and they’ve all been fake but I believed every single one of them, the AI fooled me.” The report cautioned that the dissemination of misinformation online could exacerbate social and political divisions and even incite real-world harm.
Internet Matters urged social media companies to integrate media literacy into their platform designs, aiming to assist children in evaluating, questioning, and contextualizing the information they come across. Rachel Huggins, co-chief executive of Internet Matters, highlighted the risks associated with the overwhelming volume of negative information that children are exposed to on social media.
The survey, which polled 1,000 UK children aged 11-17 in July, coincided with the implementation of Ofcom’s children’s codes at the end of July, aimed at curbing harmful online algorithms. A government spokesperson emphasized the importance of protecting young people from harmful content and enforcing legal requirements to ensure safer algorithms and less harmful content on social media platforms. They reiterated the commitment to enhancing online safety skills for families and intervening promptly to safeguard children from potential harm online.