He points to extensive research that finds that girls are more relationally oriented, making social media a landmine for female mental health. He has also pointed to the way social media spreads victimhood narratives like a brushfire among girls, who are bombarded by messages about their rights being taken away and their status in society being perpetually undermined by elusive political bogeymen. There are several gender differences in the experiences teens report having while on social media. Teen girls are more likely than teen boys to say that what they see on social media makes them feel a lot like they have a place to express their creativity or like they have people who can support them. However, girls also report encountering some of the pressures at higher rates than boys. Some 45% of girls say they feel overwhelmed because of all the drama on social media, compared with 32% of boys.
Fake disaster images don’t just damage trust in the specific events they misrepresent, they erode trust in all media over time. People who feel deceived by one image are more likely to become skeptical of future disaster coverage, even if it’s legitimate. We should be able to see images and news reports of disasters and trust that they are accurate representations of what’s happening. As an expert in video and photo forensics, I can say with certainty that these emotionally evocative images are highly edited or outright fake. The first image (above) bears telltale signs of a deepfake to a trained eye. Comparing it with the second image in the series (below) — in which the young girl has one too many fingers — the puppy’s muzzle has a different coloration and the boat is a different shape and color.
Compared to their male peers, girls are feeling increasingly under pressure and facing harassment and abuse online. They’re censoring their posts and even leaving social girls forum media altogether, losing their voice in the digital space. The PLATO system was launched in 1960 at the University of Illinois and subsequently commercially marketed by Control Data Corporation.
These platforms foster connections, self-expression, and support among users with similar interests. In boys, however, these factors only explained 12% of the relationship between social media and poor mental health. For one thing, girls tend to be more susceptible than boys to mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety regardless of screen time.
"Social media being unregulated, kids ... get sent this content and they really don't have the ability to process it and understand what's good, what's bad, what's real, [and] what's not real," Dynes said. She continues to pursue treatment at a facility in the U.S., as she gets back on track with her schooling virtually. Our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels are monitored daily, all year round. If you have questions, need support, or guidance we’ll respond between 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday except on bank holidays.
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