YouTube announced on Thursday that it would limit the “re-recommendation” of videos that could harm the mental health of teenagers, as the methods it uses digital platforms to attract young people are criticized by authorities, AFP reported.
Videos “that compare physical characteristics and idealize one over another, that idealize certain fitness levels or body weight” will no longer be retargeted to teens first in the US and then in other countries next year, Google said in a statement. service.
“Teenagers are more likely than adults to develop negative self-images when they see repeated messages about ideal standards in the content they consume online,” said James Becer, one of the platform’s chief executives.
Last week, more than forty US states launched lawsuits against Meta, accusing its Facebook and Instagram apps of harming the “mental and physical health of young people.”
According to the attorney general, the social media giant attracts and holds the attention of young people with addictive features (such as short videos that can be scrolled without seeing the passage of time), knowing that the content and prolonged use of these applications causes “significant harm their health.
Similar allegations have been leveled against TikTok, which has been banned by several organizations and the state of Montana for geopolitical and child protection reasons.
According to the Pew Research Center, up to 95% of American youth between the ages of 13 and 17 say they use a social network, and a third of them use it “almost constantly.”
Last May, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warned of the “extremely harmful effects” that social media could have, saying it was playing a major role in a “national crisis in youth mental health”, particularly young girls who are more vulnerable to the risks cyberbullying or eating disorders.
YouTube also confirmed existing measures to protect teenagers, such as removing content related to hostility, harassment or eating disorders.
The platform also plans to increase the frequency of reminders to take breaks or go to bed for users under the age of 18. (Photo by Dreamtime)
Source: Hot News
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