School is worse for kids than social media
8 days ago
- #education
- #social-media
- #mental-health
- Governments worldwide are debating or implementing bans on social media for teenagers due to alleged mental health impacts, despite most scholars finding little to no negative effects.
- School is identified as a significant source of stress and mental health issues for children, with data showing increased suicide rates during school periods and drops during breaks.
- The implementation of Common Core around 2012 coincided with a spike in school-related stress and youth mental health issues, suggesting a possible link.
- Social media's impact on mental health is ambiguous, with studies showing mixed results depending on how it's used (e.g., social interaction vs. doomscrolling).
- Proposed changes to improve school mental health impacts include later start times, less homework, and more recess and lunch breaks.
- The modern education system is criticized for being overly stressful and not aligned with children's natural need for unstructured play and socialization.
- The debate around social media bans highlights a tendency to seek simple solutions to complex problems, while ignoring more systemic issues like school stress.