Providing information and resources for parents, youth workers and educators to help kids navigate their digital world.
Data shows that many teens are dealing with mental health issues. The national average of weekly visits for suspected suicide attempts among people ages 12 to 17 jumped nearly 40 percent in February and March compared to two years before, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read the article here.
Remind your kids there’s no problem too big that you can’t work out together. Read the article here.
Girls who used social media for at least two to three hours per day at the beginning of the study–when they were about 13 years old–and then greatly increased their use over time were at a higher clinical risk for suicide as emerging adults. Read the article here.
TikTok users are using secret codes in their videos and captions to convey they are struggling with depression and possibly contemplating suicide. Read the article here.
More than ever before, young people on smartphones immerse themselves in a digital atmosphere of high drama where a subculture of depressed and suicidal teenagers thrives, out of sight of most adults. Read the article here.
Underlying problems may make some young people particularly vulnerable to what they find on social media, an expert says. Read the article here.
Today’s cyberbullies no longer rely on chat-based venues, such as texting or instant messages. Instead, social media platforms, sometimes used anonymously, are employed to strengthen mob mentalities and the shame of victims. Read the article here.
The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, announced on Tuesday that company is implementing changes that it hopes will stop younger users from being exposed to inappropriate content relating to suicide and self harm. Read the article here.
It’s notable that until now, Instagram has managed to remain healthily detached from the issues that have plagued Facebook over the last twelve months. Read the full article here.
Parents are worried that a new challenge known as the Momo Challenge — rumored to be a suicide challenge on WhatsApp — might be the successor to the Blue Whale Challenge. Read the article here.