Introduction
It is vital to appreciate media as a critical part of our evolution rather than being cynical about larger societal distinctive cultural produces and processes. Therefore, when reviewing a product, it is prudent to move beyond one’s frame of reference or personal liking to the information available for consumption (Campbell et al., 2019). As demonstrated in this essay, every review or critique should be objective because its end goal should be to contribute to realizing a better media and online space for young people.
Describing the PBS Article/Video & Topic
The PBS News Hour live Q&A anchored by Nicole Ellis is fair, informative, and focused on combating the mental health issues affecting young people due to overreliance or overuse of social media tools. The inclusion of live viewers, who could ask questions addressed by Dr. Paul Weigle, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, and Heather Kelly, a technology reporter from the Washington Post, ensured balanced and informed coverage of the matters as the debate ensued (Ellis, 2021). The author also accompanied the debate with a summary of key points highlighted in the discussions, and they added their review of the subject. The approach is an infallible remedy for addressing the issue of problematic content and unhealthy use of social media as a substitute for in-person socialization among teenagers.
Analyzing The PBS Article/Video & Topic
All contributors to the discussion early on accept that society cannot condemn the usefulness of social media in totality. However, they agree that society needs to address the problem of poor kids and teenagers’ mental health due to social media use. The perspectives of a medic and a reporter and the diversity of contributors regarding gender ensure a balanced discussion that addresses the antagonistic point of view (Campbell et al., 2019). They confront the issue economically for those running or benefiting from media platforms and stakeholders in child wellness, such as psychiatrists, educators, parents, and legislators (Ellis, 2021). Ellis’s leading of the discussion ensures that it does not negate the issue of social media as a leading cause of mental illness, sleep disturbances, depression, and amplification of innately led behavior.
Interpreting the PBS Article/Video & Topic
The contribution of live viewers helped clarify the discussion, as parents could ask questions from their point of view and their own experiences with their kids. The inclusion of the isolated cases in the discussion helps better understand the impact of unrestricted or complete access to the internet on the mental health of teens and kids. Heather Kelly, for instance, shows fault in parents who themselves fail to exercise restraint on screen time, thus highlighting that social media addiction is not limited to teens (Ellis, 2021). Therefore, parents are deliberately willing to compromise on children using social media so long as there is bipartisan support from legislators and social media stakeholders beyond the inclusion of parental control features. Dr. Paul Weigle’s position on parents failing on screen time is that they need to improve on encouraging kids to progressively improve their overreliance on social media, as at their stage of brain development, they could lack executive control over social media (Ellis, 2021). The contributors call for action to curb social media inducements such as algorithm-suggested content and user-rewarded engagements (Campbell et al., 2019). Such initiatives can reduce reported mental health incidences, showing that the reviewers lend their voices to the process in this case.
Evaluating the PBS Article/Video & Topic
The documentary thus achieves its goal of being educative, creating awareness of the ills of social media while highlighting that further action is needed to realize the end goals. The objective nature of the discussion helped achieve much in the short span by highlighting the physical and mental health consequences of young people’s overreliance on social media.
Engaging with the PBS Article/Video & Topic
Tackling the shortcomings of social media will require bipartisan efforts so that every party puts aside their interests to ensure that the online space is safe for kids (Ellis, 2021). Since young people are prone to exploitation due to their naivety, there should be a perpetual review of how they interact with social media to ensure that it is a beneficial technological advancement.
Conclusion
Parental control is important for young users to reduce the onset of unfettered internet access. Young people demonstrate the ability to get around the controls set by social media companies due to their tech-savvy nature as a generation advantaged by early exposure to the digital space. Parents are not only encouraged to moderate internet access, but they should never substitute in-person socialization with their children so that they can be actively involved in their lives.
References
Campbell, R., Martin, C., Fabos, B., & Harmsen, S. (2019, October 2). Media Essentials. Macmillan Higher Education. http://books.google.ie/books?id=rlKxDwAAQBAJ&dq=978-1457601088&hl=&cd=1&source=gbs_api
Ellis, N. (2021, October 29). WATCH: How social media platforms impact kid and teen mental health. PBS NewsHour. Retrieved January 19, 2024, from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/watch-live-how-social-media-platforms-impact-kid-and-teen-mental-health
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