Discussion Board for 2/1

I think that, in terms of systematic influences, the biggest focus for clinical psychologists advocacy should be on social media and technology. Human existence is becoming more closely tied to technology, paving the way for social media platforms such as instagram and facebook to thrive. There are many upsides to social media, but as the algorithms have gotten smarter and smarter, and as the internet has evolved into a place where people can post or say things with little to no accountability, we have seen a massive shift in the content that is being consumed by children.

Companies have little to no control over what children see, which I think has lead to a lot of desensitization for them. Apps like TikTok and instagram, with the short form content, have been ultimately damaging to attention spans, the ability to communicate and has caused young children, with little to no perspective, to fall into dangerous ways of thinking or to consume content that is damaging to their development and their brains, especially at such a developmental stage. It has also become a breeding ground for predators, as I think more education surrounding these topics at young ages in school, and stricter policies and harsher punishments for corporations that fail to safeguard effectively.