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This article (and many similar articles often shared on HN) are written as if the target audience are adults. And maybe it is. But there are already plenty of a

This article (and many similar articles often shared on HN) are written as if the target audience are adults. And maybe it is. But there are already plenty of articles about how we spend too much time online, and the effects of social media. But why aren’t there more articles like this targeting teens, e.g. when — or before — the problem starts? Language like this: > irony, post-irony, meta-irony, and whatever-irony are the lingua franca of the terminally online. makes it clear that this is not written with a general audience in mind. Are there articles that cover really good points like this in a way that really sinks in for a younger audience, to help them understand the risks and how to recognize the problem before it becomes a deep rooted and/or normalized addiction? As a parent of teens, it would be nice to find and share articles with them that are written in a way that really sinks in while not coming across as preachy/judgmental.

haswell 4y ago
This is something I’ve been thinking about quite a bit. How to take these problems that a growing number of psychologists, psychiatrists and technologists understand to be problems, and repackaging that in a way that is palatable and effective for various audiences. I think articles like the one here need to exist to get communities like this one talking about how to expand the conversation. The trouble is, what is the right way to reach someone in their teens, at a time in their life when they’re probably far less worried about the “health” aspects of time online than they are about fitting in with their peers? I’ve wondered if the only way is to embrace the social media platforms people find themselves consumed with - to subtly deliver/grow the message that they should unplug. I’d say this conversation should start in schools, but am not optimistic that this would actually pan out.

haswell 4y ago

This is something I’ve been thinking about quite a bit. How to take these problems that a growing number of psychologists, psychiatrists and technologists understand to be problems, and repackaging that in a way that is palatable and effective for various audiences. I think articles like the one here need to exist to get communities like this one talking about how to expand the conversation. The trouble is, what is the right way to reach someone in their teens, at a time in their life when they’re probably far less worried about the “health” aspects of time online than they are about fitting in with their peers? I’ve wondered if the only way is to embrace the social media platforms people find themselves consumed with - to subtly deliver/grow the message that they should unplug. I’d say this conversation should start in schools, but am not optimistic that this would actually pan out.