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Is social media stealing our children’s happiness?

The Tragic Effect of Social Media on Children’s Lives

Alexiei Dingli
HumAIn Technologies
4 min readNov 3, 2023

In a modern world brimming with digital allure, our children start navigating the choppy waters of social media early in life. While captivating, the vibrant charm of online interactions conceals a looming threat that often goes unnoticed until it’s too late. The instant gratification, the yearning for virtual validation, and the ceaseless bombardment of notifications create a digital quagmire that could engulf tender minds in a cycle of anxiety and depression. This silent crisis, brewing in the heart of our digital culture, is more than just a passing concern-it’s a clear call for immediate action.

The tragic story of Molly Russell shines a spotlight on a broader, more pervasive issue ingrained within modern youth culture. Through Molly’s narrative, we witness how the seemingly benign act of scrolling through social media can spiral into a vortex of emotional turmoil for young, impressionable minds. Like many others of her age, Molly was trapped in a web of online despair, where the quest for acceptance and understanding led her into a dark alley of detrimental social media content, exacerbating her emotional distress and culminating in a tragic end. Her story isn’t an isolated one but a reflection of a growing crisis, echoing the concerns of…

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HumAIn Technologies
HumAIn Technologies

Published in HumAIn Technologies

HumAIn is dedicated to emerging tech-related articles aimed at helping people understand and use technology.

Alexiei Dingli
Alexiei Dingli

Written by Alexiei Dingli

Professor of #AI at @uniofmalta, @AIMalta, Co-organiser at #GDGMalta

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