If you’ve ever stumbled across a misogynistic video by an influencer online, you know how harmful this content can be, but did you know that more than two-thirds of boys ages 11 to 14 are exposed to this kind of harmful and damaging “manosphere” content? 70% of teachers have noticed an increase in sexist language Will it be used in classrooms in the 12 months leading up to February 2024?
The study was published earlier this year: The rise of aggroismIt depicts a boy’s gradual slide into a misogynistic mindset, which leaves him feeling lonely and sad, and negative towards his female teachers and even his own sister.
The film, produced by Vodafone and the charity Global Action Plan, depicts the impact that harmful AI-powered algorithms are having on pre-teen boys. It reflects growing concern among parents, with one in five noticing a gradual change in the language their sons use to talk about women and girls. Experts are now urging families to talk to their sons about what may be on their phones and how it’s reaching them.
Psychologist Dr Ellie Hanson says: “Social media is designed to keep you online as long as possible, so they target your emotions. They exploit emotions such as shock, fear, anxiety, paranoia, superiority, indignation and sexuality. These emotions have been found to be captivating.”
Worryingly, many boys come across this content while searching for something unrelated, such as fitness or gaming videos. Hanson says explaining how social media algorithms are designed is important because it invites kids and teens into the conversation, which is much more effective than telling them not to look.
“Questioning things is a normal part of being a teenager,” she says, “so let’s use that tendency to encourage them to question the tools being used to manipulate them online.”
Hanson says that simply explaining that these platforms directly benefit from your engagement with their content is a strong first step. The content that attracts the most attention is often controversial and conspiratorial. This has resulted in a plethora of influencers who promote a distorted view of masculinity that is sexist, offensive and offensive. This leads to negative and disrespectful behavior towards women and girls, and also damages boys’ mental health and ability to form relationships. Two-thirds of boys They said seeing harmful and negative content online left them feeling anxious, sad and scared.
Kate Edwards, deputy director of online child safety at the NSPCC, says parents need to be aware of how quickly their children’s phones and tablets can become inundated with harmful content. “Social media is currently made up mainly of short form content – videos streamed quickly one after the other. Once you watch something in full, react to it, like or comment, the app will serve you more and more similar content. It can quickly pull you down a rabbit hole,” Edwards said.
“There are steps you can take to teach the algorithm that you don’t want to see it anymore. Look for a ‘hide’ button or a ‘I didn’t like that’ option. Explore the different settings in the app, by yourself and with your child.”
Vodafone co-designed Digital Parenting Toolkit We’ve teamed up with the NSPCC to help parents get ahead of potential risks. It’s full of conversation starters, activities and tips to help young people stay safe while using the internet, as well as advice on what to do if they come across something inappropriate.
Sir Peter Wanless, chief executive of the NSPCC, says he is particularly proud of the partnership with Vodafone because it helps navigate an online world that can be overwhelming and confusing for parents as well as children. He says: “The toolkit encourages families to have open conversations about their children’s mobile use, for example discussing situations that might arise online. It also covers safety features available on phones and setting boundaries, such as enforcing screen time limits.”
But screen time rules and parental controls are only one piece of the puzzle: while parents can help stem the flow of harmful content, there is a growing belief that to break the cycle, tech companies themselves need to take action.
To appeal this, Global Action Plan has filed a petition It calls for regulators such as Ofcom to require platforms to take control away from AI-powered algorithms and enforce “safety by design”, which was a key element of the 2023 policy. Online Safety ActBut there are growing concerns that the app may get away with only having bare-bones functionality.
“Despite parents’ best efforts, children are still vulnerable to manipulative algorithms. We should do our best, but the most power lies with the tech companies and regulators,” Hanson said.
Find out more about Vodafone’s pledge to help four million people and businesses bridge the digital divide. here
Source: www.theguardian.com
