Brian Schatz: “tens of millions of kids in America are anxious, depressed, angry, lonely, sedentary, sometimes insecure, and sometimes…”

“tens of millions of kids in America are anxious, depressed, angry, lonely, sedentary, sometimes insecure, and sometimes suicidal. And just about everybody--whether they are parents, teachers, mental health professionals, or even the kids themselves-- points the finger at the same culprit: social media. We do not need more data to tell us what is so painfully obvious in schools and homes across the country. Social media platforms, with their wildly powerful, covert, and addictive algorithms are driving our kids deeper and deeper into a sea of despair that they can't find their way out of. Kids are being unwittingly sucked into rabbit holes that leave them in a constant state of panic and outrage--ashamed of their own bodies, lacking meaningful friendships and connections. The idea that a young kid--a kid--can feel so unhappy and so unfulfilled at the tender age of 8 or 9--so much so that they seriously contemplate self-harm--is appalling. And it is a uniquely modern crisis created over the past decades by profit-chasing tech companies for whom nothing and no one is off-limits, not even very young kids. The math for them is very simple: Attention means money. And the best way to hold people's attention is to make them upset and keep them upset.…”