Australia prepares to kick kids off social media despite doubts
SYDNEY -- Jackson, a 14-year-old high school student in Sydney, usually spends around three hours a day scrolling through his phone's TikTok and Instagram feeds.
That is the typical level of usage these days among Australians aged 18 and under according to research by online safety software company Qustodio. But the average could soon drop dramatically.
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Japan Today
a day ago
- Japan Today
How social media can 'trigger' eating disorders in young people
By Chloé Rabs Social media can push vulnerable young people towards developing eating disorders by glorifying thinness and promoting fake, dangerous advice about diet and nutrition, experts warn. Young women and girls are much more likely to suffer from illnesses such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder, though rates among men have been increasing. Research has shown the percentage of people worldwide who have had some kind of eating disorder during their lives rose from 3.5 percent in 2000 to 7.8 percent in 2018, a timeframe that captures the rise of social media. For the professionals trying to help teenagers recover from these disorders, misinformation from influencers on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram is a huge problem. "We no longer treat an eating disorder without also addressing social media use," French dietitian and nutritionist Carole Copti told AFP. "It has become a trigger, definitely an accelerator and an obstacle to recovery." The causes of eating disorders are complex, with psychological, genetic, environmental and social factors all having the potential to make someone more susceptible. Social media "is not the cause but the straw that may break the camel's back," said Nathalie Godart, a psychiatrist for children and adolescents at the Student Health Foundation of France. By promoting thinness, strictly controlled diets and relentless exercise, social media weakens already vulnerable people and "amplifies the threat" to their health, she told AFP. Just one recent example is the #skinnytok trend, a hashtag on TikTok full of dangerous and guilt-inducing advice encouraging people to drastically reduce how much food they eat. For Charlyne Buigues, a French nurse specializing in eating disorders, social media serves as a gateway to these problems, which are "normalized" online. She condemned videos showing young girls with anorexia exposing their malnourished bodies -- or others with bulimia demonstrating their "purges". "Taking laxatives or vomiting are presented as a perfectly legitimate way to lose weight, when actually they increase the risk of cardiac arrest," Buigues said. Eating disorders can damage the heart, cause infertility and other health problems, and have been linked to suicidal behavior. Anorexia has the highest rate of death of any psychiatric disease, research has found. Eating disorders are also the second leading cause of premature death among 15- to 24-year-olds in France, according to the country's health insurance agency. Social media creates a "vicious cycle," Copti said. "People suffering from eating disorders often have low self-esteem. But by exposing their thinness from having anorexia on social media, they gain followers, views, likes... and this will perpetuate their problems and prolong their denial," she added. This can especially be the case when the content earns money. Buigues spoke of a young woman who regularly records herself throwing up live on TikTok and who had "explained that she was paid by the platform and uses that money to buy groceries". Social media also makes recovering from eating disorders "more difficult, more complicated and take longer", Copti said. This is partly because young people tend to believe the misleading or fake diet advice that proliferates online. Copti said consultations with her patients can feel like she is facing a trial. "I have to constantly justify myself and fight to make them understand that no, it is not possible to have a healthy diet eating only 1,000 calories -- that is half what they need -- or that no, it is not normal to skip meals," she said. "The patients are completely indoctrinated -- and my 45-minute weekly consultation is no match for spending hours every day on TikTok," she added. Godart warned about the rise of people posing as "pseudo-coaches", sharing incorrect, "absurd" and potentially illegal nutrition advice. "These influencers carry far more weight than institutions. We're constantly struggling to get simple messages across about nutrition," she said, pointing out that there are lifelines available for those in need. Buigues takes it upon herself to regularly report problematic content on Instagram, but said it "serves no purpose". "The content remains online and the accounts are rarely suspended -- it's very tiring," she said. The nurse has even advised her patients to delete their social media accounts, particularly TikTok. "It may seem radical but until young people are better informed, the app is too dangerous," she said. © 2025 AFP
Japan Today
a day ago
- Japan Today
Scrolling for truth: News for the swipe generation
By Jeff W. Richards In Japan, the media once shaped how the nation saw itself — through the nightly news, the front page of the morning paper or trusted commentators on TV. Today, a different kind of feed defines what people know. For younger generations, the news often comes in fragments: TikTok clips, Line summaries, Instagram reels. The swipe has replaced the scroll. For many, journalism is not really what they're looking for. A Tokyo commuter taps through TikTok, Instagram and Line headlines — catching hints of a scandal, a protest, the aftermath of war and a bit of government legislation all in under two minutes. She scrolls past memes, ii ne (liked) posts and push notifications — but has she really learned anything from the stories? The swipe feels efficient, but increasingly, it replaces depth with a dopamine fix. When headlines become habits A growing number of younger Japanese say their daily news consumption begins and ends on their phones. Image: O2O Creative/iStock Young people in Japan (and elsewhere) aren't avoiding the news, they're just consuming it in new ways. Much of it is filtered through platforms designed for speed and engagement, though, not accuracy or depth. Surveys show traditional TV news and newspapers are barely registering with people under 30. The trend is backed by international data. The Reuters Institute's 2024 Digital News Report found that younger Japanese are far more likely to stay informed through platforms like YouTube, social media or mobile aggregators than from legacy press. When news arrives as headlines, memes or stylish Instagram posts, though, it's harder to tell where journalism ends and something else begins. TikTok offers algorithmically curated outrage and summaries. News becomes a vibe, not a report. Instagram's slick carousel explainers often lack transparency about who makes them. Few are vetted and professionally fact-checked. Line News is a gateway for many Japanese users, but curated snippets rarely include the full context or link to complete stories. According to the DataReportal 'Digital 2025: Japan' and Digital Marketing for Asia's 'Social Media in Japan — everything you need to know,' platforms like TikTok, Line and Instagram are among the most commonly used sources of daily information for younger people in Japan. YouTube content creators sometimes provide in-depth commentary — but more often than not they blur the lines between reporting and opinion. Each platform imposes its own logic, its own computations. What gets surfaced then is what gets engagement — not necessarily what's important. It's the 'social' aspect of social media. Journalism, repackaged Platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok are increasingly shaping how news is encountered — if not always understood. Image: hapabapa/iStock With so much "news" being summarized, re-edited or reshared by 'experts,' influencers or anonymous accounts, traditional editorial gatekeeping is disappearing, even disregarded or just plain shrugged off. If there's no byline, no sourcing, no verification of facts — is it still journalism? Reporting is being replaced with repackaging. Japan's legacy media still struggles to connect with younger audiences. Trust hasn't disappeared — it's just migrated. Audiences now follow personalities over platforms. They value transparency and authenticity over institutional authority. That shift brings risks, but also opportunity. Taught to follow, not to question Despite near-universal tech access, few Japanese schools emphasize media literacy or critical engagement with digital content. Image: ferrantraite/iStock One reason the shift toward fragmented, feed-based news is so concerning in Japan is that critical media literacy has never been a strong suit — either in schools or in the public domain. Young people aren't being taught how to engage with news, whether online or off. Most education systems emphasize rote learning and memorization, not independent evaluation or questioning of sources. The result is a media landscape where audiences — especially younger ones — are increasingly consuming information in environments designed to entertain. There is little preparation or education for them to tell facts from spin. Without stronger support for news literacy — both in education and culture — it's not just journalism that suffers. It's the ability of an entire generation to ask better questions about the world around them. New voices, new platforms A new generation of journalists and creators are bringing serious topics to where audiences already are — online. Image: tdub303/iStock Some young and independent journalists are finding ways to bridge the gap — embracing social media without abandoning journalistic principles: Tansa, a nonprofit Tokyo-based newsroom, uses reader-supported funding to conduct long-term investigations and publish them accessibly online, while also training the next generation of journalists. Magdalena Osumi, reporting for The Japan Times, actively engages with digital audiences, including Reddit AMAs that break down complex issues like immigration in plain terms. Nithin Coca, a freelance journalist based in Japan and focused on climate and tech, offers transparency in sourcing and adapts to emerging platforms to expand reach while maintaining editorial integrity. These journalists are building trust not through institutional authority, but through accountability, direct engagement and clarity. They're showing that journalism can evolve while staying grounded. Meanwhile, Japan's major broadcasters and newspaper groups have been slow to respond. As we've reported here on Japan Today, many lack platform-specific strategies or fall back on simply reposting traditional content. A few experiments exist — TV Asahi has climbed on TikTok to reach younger audiences, offering news update snippets designed for mobile consumption, for instance — but the broader industry remains reactive rather than innovative. Paying attention — or just scrolling? For many, the feed never stops — and neither does the pressure to keep up, react and just keep scrolling. Image: praetorianphoto/iStock Even with a few bright spots — young journalists building trust and finding ways to get real stories out — there's a deeper concern: much of the audience may not be listening at all. Sure, journalism can evolve. Some are already doing the hard work of adapting it to new platforms, new expectations and new voices. Many users scroll through TikTok, Line or Instagram without ever following up. For some, the headline has become the entire story. Algorithms reinforce users' existing views, reducing the need for curiosity or critical thinking. It's not just Gen Z — millennials, too, are deep into this social-media-first news diet, including the misinformation vortex of Facebook. It feels like the feed has replaced reflection. The mobile screen becomes both window and mirror — constantly offering headlines, takes and vibes, but rarely asking for anything deeper in return. In the end, the danger may not just be misinformation. It's the creation of personal or peer group echo chambers that feel like the truth but aren't. When audiences stop looking beyond the end of their noses — or their screens — perspective and truth are easily lost. Tuning out the noise In a world of algorithm-fed fragments, choosing to slow down — and look up — may be journalism's last defense. Image: kyonntra/iStock The way Japan's younger generations consume news (if they do at all) is changing — fast. In some corners, so is the way journalism is being produced. Even the best reporting won't matter if no one takes the time to engage with it. The swipe is easy. The scroll is endless. But the truth? That still takes work. More from this series © Japan Today
Nikkei Asia
2 days ago
- Nikkei Asia
Australia prepares to kick kids off social media despite doubts
SYDNEY -- Jackson, a 14-year-old high school student in Sydney, usually spends around three hours a day scrolling through his phone's TikTok and Instagram feeds. That is the typical level of usage these days among Australians aged 18 and under according to research by online safety software company Qustodio. But the average could soon drop dramatically.
