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Australia’s Youth Social Media Ban Is Floundering
Six months after Australia became the first country to implement a wide-ranging ban on social media for kids, the ban has proved ineffectual. Yet rather than rethinking its approach, Australia’s government is doubling down. The law, which took effect last December, bars children under 16 from having accounts on 10 platforms: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Kick, Reddit, Threads, Twitch, and X (formerly Twitter).
The legislation put the burden on tech companies to verify the age of their users and to demonstrate their compliance to a new government regulatory agency. Since the law went into force, the platforms deactivated, removed or restricted more than 5 million accounts. But a March report from the government’s eSafety regulator showed that many Australian minors were able to sign up with new log-ins.
A survey published last month in the BMJ medical journal similarly found that 85 percent of Australian kids under 16 were still using the age-restricted accounts. Many were able to bypass age restrictions, some set up fake accounts and a few used VPNs to obscure their location. “Little evidence was found of immediate substantive reductions in reported social media use by adolescents under 16 years,” the authors concluded.
Globally, Youth Are Not Eating Enough Healthy Plant-Based Foods, Analysis Concludes
Healthy plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes are the foundation of a healthy diet for anyone, no matter how old they are. But that’s especially true for children, for whom these foods are rich in essential nutrients that support normal growth, learning, mood and long-term health.
In a new global analysis of childhood diets over nearly 30 years, researchers at Tufts University found that children around the world are still consuming low amounts of these critical foods. Among their observations, in the United States, daily consumption of healthy plant-based foods decreased with age, going from among the highest in the world at an early age to among the lowest in later childhood and adolescence — a pattern that contrasts with most other countries.
“Dietary habits established during childhood can influence health throughout life, yet we found that consumption of healthy plant-based foods remains low among youth across the globe,” said first author Sydney Yearley, a student at the Tufts MD/Ph.D. Clinical & Translational Science program.
Parents’ Phone Addiction Affects Bond With Kids, New Study Finds
Parents’ attachment to screens and smartphones can have negative, long-lasting developmental and psychological effects on their children, according to new research.
Caregivers who mismanage their devices can both exacerbate “insecure attachment” and make healthy relationships more anxious and avoidant for children, according to the findings, which were published last month in Frontiers in Psychology, a peer-reviewed journal.
The study, which surveyed 600 minors in the US from 12 to 17 years old, found that kids reported feeling marginalized or neglected by parents glued to their screens. A child with insecure attachment may lack confidence or display a lower sense of self; demonstrate difficulty with interpersonal relationships and intimacy; and possess an unwillingness to take risks necessary to achieve success, according to one of the study’s researchers, Don Grant, a media psychologist, addiction expert and fellow with the the American Psychological Association.
It “could really unfavorably impact their attachment security, which they will carry for life,” Grant said.
Parents Beware: The Shocking Truth About Nee-Doh Burns That Could Hurt Your Kids
The recent viral trend on TikTok has raised alarm among parents, revealing a concerning danger associated with the popular Nee-Doh squishy toys. While these colorful, squishy stress relievers are loved by children for their tactile pleasure and soothing nature, they harbor a hidden risk that could lead to severe injuries. Reports have surfaced of children suffering from serious burns, igniting a wave of parental concern and safety warnings.
Nee-Doh toys are squishy stress balls filled with a heat-sensitive gel. Designed to provide sensory stimulation and comfort, they have become a favorite among kids across various ages. Their appeal lies not only in their vibrant colors and textures but also in their ability to relieve stress and anxiety. However, as is often the case with popular toys, their widespread allure has overshadowed the potential dangers lurking beneath the surface.
As the TikTok trend escalated, more parents began to share videos of their children playing with Nee-Doh toys, often highlighting their stress-relieving benefits. Unfortunately, this surge in popularity has also paved the way for troubling reports of injuries. Videos have emerged, documenting alarming instances where children have encountered burns from these seemingly harmless toys.
