IMO warns vulnerable young people at risk on ‘toxic’ social media apps

A meeting of a representative group of over one million European doctors has heard that vulnerable young people are at serious risk of harm on social media apps.

The Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME) is hosting a major medical meeting in Dublin today (Friday 20 March).

The CPME represents national medical associations across Europe, covering more than 1.7 million doctors in 36 countries.

The Dublin meeting is being held in conjunction with the IMO.

At the event, Prof Matthew Sadlier, Vice-President and Chair of the IMO consultant committee, warned that the mix of certain features of social media apps, algorithmically driven content and the ubiquity of smartphones had created a “truly toxic online landscape”.

Speaking before the event, he said that social media apps, such as Snapchat and Roblox, offered easy access to unconnected users, including children.

Prof Sadlier noted that several people in Ireland and the UK had been convicted for child abuse directly related to their activity on Snapchat, in particular.

He said that it was imperative that the Irish Government used its upcoming EU presidency to educate people on the risks young people are exposed to online and work to tighten regulation of the online world.

“We are living in an age of almost non-existent social media regulation, which has created a truly toxic online landscape,” according to Prof Sadlier.

“Not only can children and adults alike access at will the most malevolent and dangerous content, but certain social media apps by their design reward that behaviour by directing users towards ever more extreme content.

“It is ironic that, having been marketed as useful, positive platforms to stay connected with friends and family, social media apps are exposing young people to a wide range of harms including addictive algorithms, sexual violence and gambling.”

He said that it was “bizarre” that, having worked so hard as a society to strengthen and maintain children’s safety offline, we have not yet done the same in the online world.

Prof Sadlier concluded: “The Government must act to safeguard people from this type of content by introducing far stricter online regulation. Anything less would be a dereliction of duty.”