The latest commentary in JAMA Pediatrics offers suggestions for various stakeholders, including health professionals, educators, parents, policymakers, and more, to tackle the issue of adolescents encountering misinformation on social media.
Emphasizing the importance of inclusive content and media literacy, the commentary highlights that limiting social media use is not the sole solution. Published by Boston University School of Public Health researchers, the commentary advocates for informed support and proper guidelines to harness social media’s potential for positive engagement. It calls for collective efforts to enhance media information literacy skills among adolescents, urging schools to teach fact-checking tools and address algorithmic biases.
Parents are encouraged to facilitate positive experiences by discussing health-protective measures, while the authors also address the negative mental health impacts of unrealistic images and dieting advice.
The commentary recommends promoting inclusivity and diversity in content creation to foster positive connections and mental well-being. On a broader scale, it urges advocates to push for policies regulating misleading information on social media to safeguard adolescent health and equity.