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Social media companies need to be stopped from letting dangerous trends spread, and they must fix their apps to keep kids safe.
Social media apps love to show us things that grab our attention. When a trend becomes popular, it spreads around the world in just a few hours. A recent article by BBC’s Newsround shows how fast this happens with dumpling squishy toys. These toys look like cute, harmless fun. However, safety officers quickly found out they are actually dangerous. Small pieces can break off and make children choke, and the liquid inside them has bad chemicals.
If a cute toy can be dangerous, some online challenges are even worse. For years, we have seen bad internet dares. For example, some teenagers eat laundry soap or super hot peppers just to get likes and views. Honestly, it is pretty wild that people do this just to be famous for a day. These trends push young people to hurt themselves. Because social media companies make a lot of money when videos go viral, they have a duty to keep people safe. They should not just sit back and watch while their apps spread danger.
Some people might say that social media companies shouldn't get the blame because users choose to do these dumb challenges. They think it is up to parents to monitor what their kids do online. But that reasoning is wrong because these apps are literally built to show you attention-grabbing content so you stay hooked. Since the companies use algorithms to push dangerous videos to get more views, they can't just blame the parents or the kids.
To fix this, social media companies should make strict rules. First, apps must use smart technologies to instantly find out and delete content that shows dangerous stunts. Second, people who start or share dangerous challenges should face serious consequences. They should be locked out of their accounts right away, and if they keep doing it, they should be banned from the app forever. Finally, if a dangerous trend starts to grow, apps should put a big, clear warning screen on the phone when someone searches for it.
Social media companies are smart. If they are smart enough to make apps that earn billions of dollars, they are definitely smart enough to keep kids safe. It is time for these companies to care more about their users than making money.
