Utah has just passed some sweeping legislation aimed at protecting children and teens from the negative effects of social media. It’s a really ambitious attempt to tackle some of the issues around addiction, mental health problems, and exposure to inappropriate content that are often associated with these platforms.
The new rules mean that people under 18 will have a digital curfew, so they won’t be able to stay online all night, and they’ll need their parents’ permission to sign up for social media apps. Tech companies will also need to check the ages of their users and give parents access to their kids’ accounts and messages.
But while these new laws might sound like a good thing, there are some concerns about how they’ll be enforced and whether they’ll have unintended consequences. For example, some experts worry that the new rules could actually harm children’s mental health by taking away their right to privacy. There are also worries about age verification requirements and the collection of sensitive data that could pose risks to marginalized youth.
The negative effects of social media are what we economists call negative consumption externalities. This is a fancy way of saying that when we use social media, we’re not just affecting ourselves – we’re also affecting other people around us. And that’s where the problems arise. When we spend too much time on social media, we can become addicted, which can harm our mental health. But it also affects other people, like our friends and family, who might miss out on spending time with us or notice changes in our behavior. That’s why it’s important to think about how our actions affect others and try to find a balance when it comes to using social media.
THINK LIKE AN ECONOMIST!
Q1. Define the term negative consumption externality.
Q2. With use of a diagram, analyse the negative consumption externalities associated with social media use.
Q3. Discuss whether or not the government should restrict the social media usage of children.
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