Protecting Your Kids Online
November 13, 2023
Nizan Geslevich Packin, SJD, Department of Law
It’s no secret that social media apps are addictive, especially for young people. A recent Gallup survey found that over half of American teenagers spent almost five hours a day on social media apps such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
These apps are deliberately designed to “entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens,” according to a landmark lawsuit of Meta (parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger) by 41 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. But attempts to regulate the companies that create them are often stymied by tech industry lawsuits.
What is to be done about this formidable social problem? Earlier this year, Professor Nizan Geslevich Packin, SJD, of the Zicklin School of Business Department of Law, co-authored an article in Science that offers suggestions for ways subject matter experts can partner effectively with policymakers.She describes how these interdisciplinary collaborations may work, and how they ultimately could be used to translate scientific findings into practical policies and regulatory instruments.