Round 6 and TikTok: The Invisible Danger. Find out why.
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Many parents may not realize it, but when they leave their children unsupervised or when they don’t have time to stay informed about the vast array of stimuli and information that children and young people are exposed to when they’re online, they may not fully grasp the serious harm this can cause to their children’s healthy development.
While this children’s game—which was particularly popular in the 1970s and 1980s—as well as “Batatinha Frita 1, 2, 3” (which appears in the “Peppa Pig” cartoons) and the game featured in the series *Round 6* may have similar rules, but there is a huge difference in the way their outcomes affect the emotions, thinking, and cognition of a teenager—and perhaps even a child.
This Netflix series, Round 6, resembles a reality show, but it’s based on a brutal game of life and death—and it’s no joke; the goal is survival. The game seems simple, easy—child’s play. The characters feel very real, and the rules even seem fair when one of the game’s judges, for example, says that “all participants are equal.” One of the games is called “the squid game,” and another is “1, 2, 3, potato,” which, as easy as it may be—and reminiscent of that other children’s game “hard or soft”—can lead to consequences that more closely resemble a game named after another aquatic animal: the Blue Whale. For those who don’t remember, the Blue Whale Challenge was a game that drove young people to suicide after presenting teenagers with 50 macabre challenges in 2015.
But make no mistake: TikTok (launched in 2016)—which is seen as a fun and harmless “trendy” app—is a kind of “cocaine” made available to minors, accessible to their still-immature and extremely plastic brains, open to both good and bad influences. TikTok has everything a young brain needs to become addicted. Notice the extremely short duration of the content and the way it’s presented—all of this is designed to make their brains exert less effort and crave more. It fuels anxiety and reduces patience, where “desires” are fulfilled in about 15 seconds! Real life isn’t like that...
What about Instagram Kids? Although it has been suspended for now (October 4, 2021, according to an article in *Valor Econômico*), this social network is a photo-sharing platform for children under 13, which has drawn negative reactions from various government agencies. Have you ever thought about how much such a social media platform could increase anxiety, create unattainable expectations, disrupt interpersonal relationships, and more? Regardless of your choice as a teacher or parent, it’s always important to reflect, seek information, and engage in dialogue, because there is—and will continue to be—a great deal of information out there: sometimes fake news, sometimes gossip, sometimes facts. However, the scientific data and evidence showing the extent to which children and adolescents are negatively affected by the inappropriate use of technology and social media cannot be “deleted.” We must distance ourselves from battles for audience share and corporate black-and-white thinking, because we’re talking about a child’s most precious “computer”—which is neither their smartphone nor their laptop, but their brain, their emotions, and their mental health. Families, schools, government, and the scientific community must come together to protect what cannot be deleted, “formatted,” or replaced with another “app.”
According to UNICEF, the pandemic is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the mental health problems faced by children and adolescents, who end up being even more adversely affected by the inappropriate use of social media. UNICEF asserts that commitment, communication, and action are what can promote the mental health of every child, especially those who are vulnerable (UNICEF, 2021).
To corroborate this information, according to *Mental Health of Children and Young People in England* (NHS UK, 2021), the rates of probable mental disorders among children increased from 2017 through March 2021. Among children aged 6 to 16, the rate rose from 11.6% to 17.4%, and among adolescents aged 17 to 19, it rose from 10.1% to 17.4%, with the data showing similarities between 2020 and 2021.
On the other hand, contact, social interaction, dialogue, and sharing are protective factors—and, moreover, they are factors that promote mental and emotional health, according to UNICEF. Sharing experiences, talking, expressing oneself, and building self-esteem are also important tools for children and adolescents to navigate social media, in addition to the necessary guidance from parents regarding technology use: use of Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram is only permitted starting at age 13. Before social media, parents would “monitor” how many ice creams their child ate in a day; therefore, the same should be done with technology use, right? Monitoring, supervising, and guiding remain necessary and possible!
Round 6, TikTok, Instagram for kids, and who knows how many more are yet to come! There will always be a new game, a new challenge, or a new problem to address, correct, or prevent. It is up to parents, educators, civil society, government, and relevant research institutions to build alliances and foster trust—ones that can support the mental and emotional well-being of people, especially those who are vulnerable.
May we trust one another and stay together—but through that connection that links feelings, reliable information, and people to real life.
References:
NHS Digital, Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2021—Wave 2 Follow-up to the 2017 Survey, September 30, 2021
Available at:
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2021-follow-up-to-the-2017-survey
KOETSIER, J. “Digital Crack Cocaine: The Science Behind TikTok’s Success.” Forbes, Jan. 18, 2020
Available at:
THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2021: Promoting, Protecting, and Caring for Children’s Mental Health. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF),
New York, NY, October 2021
Available at:
https://www.unicef.org/media/108161/file/SOWC-2021-full-report-English.pdf
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