Accuracy of mental health advice on TikTok examined
- TikTok is now increasingly being used as a search engine for a range of purposes by young people.
- One of these purposes is mental health and an insight into mental health conditions.
- A company called PlushCare has analysed 500 TikTok videos which included #mentalhealthtips and #mentalhealthadvice hashtags and had medical professionals assess them for accuracy and risk.
- The study found nearly 84% of mental health advice on TikTok is misleading.
- Around 14% of videos included content which could be potentially damaging.
- To view the full findings from PlushCare’s research, go to Social Media Today’s website.
Study reports loot boxes cause “financial and emotional harm” to children
- A three-year study from Newcastle and Loughborough Universities tracked gaming habits of 42 families with children aged between five and 17.
- The study found children struggled to track spending in games where “highly alluring” digital items were advertised to them using techniques from gambling.
- The report recommends loot boxes be restricted within games to those aged over 18 and virtual currencies be replaced with direct currency, such as pound sterling.
- Check out our article on Young People and Gambling in Gaming.
- To learn more, go to the Eurogamer website.
Founder of NI eating disorder charity describes changes to online safety laws as ‘missed opportunity’
- Changes to the Online Safety Bill have been described as a ‘missed opportunity’ by the founder of Eating Disorders Association NI.
- The changes scrapped the enforcement of removing harmful content from social media for technology companies.
- She said, “There was a chance to put a barrier between them and this disturbing content…accounts could have been banned and stronger legislation could have stopped it from reappearing. Now there will be no consequences”.
- To find out more, go to the Belfast Telegraph’s website.
