friend.com I’m sorry but I don’t think anyone is idiot enough to wear a device that is always listening to you and talking to you pretending to be your friend. This is a disaster waiting to happen. If social media was killing mental health, imagine what this will do.

As a young person myself, it is incredibly painful to watch my generation fall into shambles due to the influence of algorithmic social media. I've witnessed friends partake in dangerous trends, perpetuated by platforms designed to capture and hold the attention of its users at any cost. These platforms often present low-quality content that can be created by people as young as five years old, yet their impact is anything but juvenile. This consistent exposure is detrimental, leading to severe mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and addiction. We need to take immediate action to put an end to what can only be described as digital narcotics.

Currently, over 95% of teenagers have access to a smartphone, and more than 45% say they are constantly online. The algorithmic nature of these platforms, which learn users' behaviors and preferences to keep them engaged, can easily turn into a trap that young minds may struggle to escape. The sense of obligation to stay connected and the fear of missing out only intensify the addictive nature of social media, ultimately impacting their emotional and psychological development.

To combat this, we propose a prohibition on the use of algorithmic social media platforms by individuals under the age of 18. This restriction is intended to provide a safe environment for our youth, free from the pressures and potentially harmful content that these algorithms perpetuate. Instead, we should encourage alternative digital spaces that foster learning, creativity, and genuine human interaction. For example, safer social media sites that don't implement engaging algorithms, like Mastodon, Lemmy, PeerTube, and many other federated platforms.

By implementing this ban, we are not trying to isolate youth from the harm of social media, but teach them to make responsible choices, and have fulfilling and healthy digital lives. This is not implementing that we should ban technology from teenagers, quite the opposite actually. Teach them to protect themselves and lead healthy digital lives, such as I have taught myself.

Sign this petition to demand stricter regulations on algorithmic social media access for minors and help us take the first step towards a safer, more mindful digital age.

Petition Link:

https://chng.it/pDf47R4Nts

I wouldn't normally go to the internet with something like this. My therapist is sick and I cant talk to my only close friend right now.

Last Monday I had a particularly bad day, so I started mindlessly ranting at my closest friend, something I normally do to deal with stress, they're good at listening. However, it took them hours to reply to my message, and when they did, they simply said "sorry." I knew something was off, it wasn't them to reply with a single one word message after hours of silence.

Fast forward Tuesday afternoon, I was a little concerned about them but mostly fine. I was busy with work anyways. Then they texted me saying that they hadn't been at work for Monday and Tuesday, and but otherwise "Its nothing, Dw about me". At that point I was worried sick and I almost had a full breakdown.

I late texted them asking if they were really okay and they kept insisting they were. Ofc I didn't believe them, because they were acting very off and it didn't make sense that they didn't want to tell me. We've exchanged very personal secrets in the past.

Its now Wednesday. I restrained myself from talking to them all day, figuring they needed space. I can't find a way to distract myself, and my paranoid brain is trying to come up with every possible worst case scenario. The stress is consuming me, I barely feel anything outside the situation with my friend, I cant be productive with anything, I have really high blood pressure and intense heart rate.

Last night around 1 am I ended my conversation with my friend simply saying "Thank you" after I told them how much I care. I haven't talked to them all day, and if I dont say anything Ill be completely consumed by the stress. I figure I want to say something like "how are you doing" though they've made it obvious that they dont want to tell me about it. If I start with something more innocent like "did you sleep last night" they could take it the same way. One would say to speak from the heart but in that case all I want to say is "I love you" which could get awkward because we're opposite genders but really just friends. I just want advice really. I can deal with the stress, as hard as it may be. What should I tell them? How can I not push them to talk about something they dont want to while still helping them?