The World Health Organization (WHO) has made new concerns about the growing impact of social media, online gaming and artificial intelligence (AI) on children’s health and well-being.
With digital technology becoming a part of our daily life, so much of the world’s daily life becoming a part of the status quo that even if this is not regulated, too much use of digital technologies can take a toll on children’s mental, emotional, physical and social development and has been identified as a threat to them.
Digital platforms provide great educational and social benefits, but also present serious risks to children, the WHO says. They include excessive screen time, cyberbullying, harmful online content, addictive gaming habits, sleep deprivation, lack of physical activity and mental health problems (e.g. anxiety, depression, low self-esteem).
One of the main concerns is the amount of time children spend on social media. Constant exposure to curated content and unrealistic beauty standards has had negative effects on body image and confidence.
Social media algorithms may also repeatedly recommend content that increases stress, fear or unhealthy behaviors. Parents must be supportive of balanced online behavior and open to talk about how they use the Internet, WHO says.
Gaming is also a big topic. Video games can improve problem solving, teamwork and creativity, but excessive gaming can lead to addiction-like behaviors. Long hours of gaming can lead to low physical activity and poor sleep quality and low academic performance in children who play games for many hours a day.
WHO advises balancing gaming with outdoor play, exercise and family time.
Artificial intelligence is another emerging challenge. AI-based chatbots, recommendation tools and content generation tools are increasingly interacting with children online.
AI is a good tool for education and creativity but experts say it also has the potential to create misinformation, privacy risks and manipulation and for children to fail to distinguish AI-based content from real information.
It is now calling on governments, technology companies, educators, and parents to work in partnership to develop safer digital spaces for young people. Child safety, privacy and transparency in AI systems, and age-appropriate digital services are things the organization believes in, the organization says.
Parents are the most important factor in children’s development of healthy digital habits. They would recommend setting screen-time limits, encouraging device-free family time, monitoring online activities without invading privacy and teaching children digital literacy.
So helping children understand online risks can help them make better decisions.
Schools are also encouraged to incorporate digital well-being and online safety education in their curriculum. Learning how algorithms work, how to spot misinformation and how to protect personal information can prepare students for an increasingly digital world.
And technology itself is not the problem, WHO insists that technology is not the problem. What is really important is that children using digital tools safely, responsibly and in moderation.
And with smartphones, gaming platforms and AI being more prevalent in our day to day life, it’s so important to form healthy digital habits at a young age.
The warning serves as a reminder that technology has huge opportunities but children’s health and well-being need to be the global priority.
