Las Vegas, CES 2024 — The potential negative impact of social media on the mental health of teens and children was a key focus during a session at CES 2024. Megan Jones Bell, Google’s Director of Consumer and Mental Health, delved into five strategies employed by YouTube, a platform owned by Google since 2006, to protect child mental health:
Take a Break and Bedtime Reminders: YouTube has long provided “take a break” and bedtime reminders, where a black box appears on the screen. Upcoming changes will introduce more disruptive full, white screen reminders, encouraging users to pause and reflect, fostering disengagement.
Limiting Repeated Recommendations: YouTube is altering its content recommendations for teens and tweens, restricting videos that compare physical features, idealize specific fitness levels or body weights, and exhibit social aggression, such as non-contact fights and intimidation.
Updated Crisis Resource Panels: Crisis resource panels on YouTube, addressing topics related to suicide, eating disorders, and self-harm, have been enhanced. The new full-screen takeover panel offers options to contact the 988 Crisis & Suicide Hotline, explore mental health-promoting content, or access content searched for previously.
World Health Organization Partnership: Google and YouTube are collaborating with the World Health Organization (WHO) to establish new mental health quality principles. WHO is guiding the development of principles to incorporate into the platform, aiming to provide high-quality, developmentally appropriate mental health content for young users.
Educational Resources for Responsible Content Creation: YouTube, in collaboration with Common Sense Networks, has crafted a guide for families and teens, offering insights on online safety and responsible video creation.
These measures reflect a concerted effort by Google’s YouTube to address concerns surrounding the impact of social media on the mental well-being of young users. As the platform continues to evolve, these initiatives aim to create a safer and more supportive online environment for children and teenagers.