{"id":499516,"date":"2022-10-08T15:41:37","date_gmt":"2022-10-08T12:41:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/molly-russells-death-may-spark-social-media-reforms-for-us-kids\/"},"modified":"2022-10-08T15:41:37","modified_gmt":"2022-10-08T12:41:37","slug":"molly-russells-death-may-spark-social-media-reforms-for-us-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/molly-russells-death-may-spark-social-media-reforms-for-us-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"#Molly Russell&#8217;s death may spark social media reforms for US kids"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2d3fc96091a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2d3fc96091a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/molly-russells-death-may-spark-social-media-reforms-for-us-kids\/#%E2%80%9CMolly_Russells_death_may_spark_social_media_reforms_for_US_kids%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Molly Russell&#8217;s death may spark social media reforms for US kids&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CMolly_Russells_death_may_spark_social_media_reforms_for_US_kids%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Molly Russell&#8217;s death may spark social media reforms for US kids&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>In a global first, a London coroner has blamed <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social media<\/a> for the suicide of a teenage girl \u2014 potentially opening the legal floodgates against industry heavyweights like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok.<\/p>\n<p>But the tragic case of Molly Russell could also point the way toward life-saving legislative reforms. That is, if Big Tech doesn\u2019t pull the plug.<\/p>\n<p>Molly was 14 years old when she took her own life in 2017, after secretly delving into \u201cthe bleakest of worlds\u201d on Instagram and Pinterest, her father Ian Russell told North London Coroner\u2019s Court on Sept. 21.<\/p>\n<p>Without the family\u2019s knowledge, Molly \u2014 once \u201cfull of love and bubbling with excitement for what should have lay ahead in her life\u201d \u2014 was \u201cpushed into a rabbit hole of depressive content,\u201d her father said, as the two sites\u2019 artificial-intelligence algorithms directed a continual stream of dark and hopeless content to her feed and in-box.<\/p>\n<p>Proprietary algorithms keep social media users hooked, and lock their attention to their screens, by feeding them more of what the programs predict they want.  <\/p>\n<p>Once Molly engaged with posts related to depression and self-harm, she was bombarded with relentlessly grim content that took a brutal toll on her psyche.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/ian-russell-05.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Molly's father, Ian Russell, Russell said his daughter was once &quot;full of love and bubbling with excitement.&quot; The coroner has concluded that the 14-year-old died after suffering from &quot;negative effects of online content.&quot; \" class=\"wp-image-24168424\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/ian-russell-05.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/ian-russell-05.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/ian-russell-05.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Molly\u2019s father, Ian Russell, Russell said his daughter was once \u201cfull of love and bubbling with excitement.\u201d The coroner has concluded that the 14-year-old died after suffering from \u201cnegative effects of online content.\u201d <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">PA Images via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cEveryone is better off without me \u2026 \u201d Molly <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/uk-62892636\">tweeted in July 2017<\/a>, four months before she died, on a Twitter account she hid from her family. \u201cI don\u2019t fit in this world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Testified her father: \u201cEnding her life seemed to her like a solution \u2014 while to us her life seemed very normal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even after Molly killed herself, one social media platform reportedly <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2019\/01\/27\/girl-14-who-took-her-own-life-was-sent-self-harm-images-even-after-her-death-8398896\/\">sent her a personalized email<\/a> pointing her to suicide-<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">theme<\/a>d messages, like an image of a girl\u2019s cut thigh captioned \u201cI can\u2019t tell you how many times I wish I was dead.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Her father, monitoring his daughter\u2019s email account on the family computer after her death, was \u201cshocked\u201d to see such subject lines as \u201c10 depression pins you might like\u201d piling up in her in-box.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/ian-russell-04.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Ian Russell said that, even after his daughter's death, one social media platform's algorithms sent her a personalized email pointing her to suicide-themed messages\" class=\"wp-image-24167845\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/ian-russell-04.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/ian-russell-04.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/ian-russell-04.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Ian Russell said that, even after his daughter\u2019s death, one social media platform\u2019s algorithms sent her a personalized email pointing her to suicide-themed messages<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">PA Images via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Child psychiatrist Dr. Navin Venugopal, who reviewed Molly\u2019s accounts for the court, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.standard.co.uk\/tech\/molly-russell-meta-russell-instagram-north-london-b1028427.html\">called the material <\/a>\u201cvery disturbing, distressing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was not able to sleep well for a few weeks\u201d after evaluating the content, Venugopal said. \u201cIt would certainly affect her and made her feel more hopeless.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Officials from Pinterest and Meta, the company that owns Instagram and Facebook, insisted on the witness stand that the material Molly accessed was benign. <\/p>\n<p>But coroner Andrew Walker found that the teen \u201cdied from an act of self-harm whilst suffering from depression and the negative effects of online content.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe platforms operated in such a way, using algorithms, as to result in binge periods of images provided without Molly requesting them,\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.co.uk\/article\/molly-russell-inquest-the-coroner-andrew-walkers-words-x0nk3fqkr\">Walker wrote<\/a> on Sept 30. \u201cIt is likely that the material viewed by Molly \u2026 contributed to her death in a more than minimal way.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/russell-family-1.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Ian and Janet (far left, with one of their daughterIan and Janet (far left, with one of their daughters, right) Russell's landmark court case in the UK court, which holds social media to blame for their daughter Molly's death, may have a major impact in the US.s, right) Russell, recently won a landmark case in a UK court, which holds social media to blame for their daughter Molly\u2019s death.\" class=\"wp-image-24169927\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/russell-family-1.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2048 2048w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/russell-family-1.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/russell-family-1.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/russell-family-1.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Ian and Janet (far left, with one of their daughters, right) Russell\u2019s landmark case in the UK, which holds social media to blame for their daughter Molly\u2019s death, may have a major impact in the US.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">PA Images via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Activists in the US \u2014 where suicide in the 12-to-16 age group increased by 146% between 2009 and 2019 \u2014 saw the ruling as a breakthrough.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is a huge development,\u201d attorney Matthew P. Bergman of the Seattle-based Social Media Victims Law Center told The Post. Bergman has <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/socialmediavictims.org\/press-releases\/\">filed suit against<\/a> the social-media giants on behalf of seven American families who lost their kids to internet-related suicide, with dozens more cases in the works.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s the first time that a social media company has been adjudicated to be a cause of a child\u2019s suicide,\u201d Bergman said.<\/p>\n<p>Tammy Rodriguez, a Connecticut mom who has sued Meta and Snap over the suicide death of her 11-year-old daughter Selena, called the British decision \u201cwonderful <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"651\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/social-media.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"According to attorney Matthew Bergman, \u201ctechnologies that would remove 80% of the risk of [algorithms] already exist.\u201d But, he said, social-media brands fear curbing user engagement.\" class=\"wp-image-24168162\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/social-media.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/social-media.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/social-media.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>According to attorney Matthew Bergman, \u201ctechnologies that would remove 80% of the risk of [algorithms] already exist.\u201d But, he said, social-media brands fear curbing user engagement.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">NY Post photo composite<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>According to the lawsuit, Selena died in 2021 after her extreme addiction to Snapchat and Instagram led to severe sleep deprivation as she sought to keep up with round-the-clock alerts. She spiraled into depression, eating disorders and sexual exploitation before taking her own life. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot that anything could bring the beautiful Molly back,\u201d Rodriguez told The Post, \u201cbut holding social media companies accountable will save children in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe do this for Molly and Selena and every other beautiful girl who deserved better in this world,\u201d Selena\u2019s sister Destiny, 22, said of the family\u2019s legal battle.<\/p>\n<p>Frances Haugen, the Facebook whistleblower who leaked thousands of internal documents in 2021 and exposed the company\u2019s addictive algorithms, predicted that the coroner\u2019s finding will be \u201cthe first of many.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/matthew-bergman-01.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Bergman has filed suit against the social-media giants on behalf of seven American families who lost children to suicide.\" class=\"wp-image-24167757\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/matthew-bergman-01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/matthew-bergman-01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/matthew-bergman-01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Bergman has filed suit against the social-media giants on behalf of seven American families who lost children to suicide.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cA court has recognized that algorithms are dangerous and that engagement-based ranking and its bias pushing users towards ever more extreme content can cost children their lives,\u201d Haugen told The Post.<\/p>\n<p>Teens are uniquely susceptible to the addictive lure of social media \u2014 a fact that Meta\u2019s own research, detailed in Haugen\u2019s trove of documents, revealed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s just a simple question of neurology,\u201d Bergman claimed. \u201cThe dopamine response that an adolescent gets upon receiving a \u2018like\u2019 from Instagram or Facebook is four times greater than the dopamine response an adult gets.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Shocking or psychologically discordant content \u2014 like the dark materials that Pinterest\u2019s and Instagram\u2019s algorithms allegedly pushed into Molly\u2019s feeds \u2014 amps up the dopamine hit even more, heightening the urge to keep scrolling, Bergman said, citing Haugen\u2019s testimony.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/selena-rodriguez-and-mom-02.png?w=682\" alt=\"Tammy Rodriguez (left), a Connecticut mom who has sued Meta and Snap over the suicide of her 11-year-old daughter Selena (right), called the British decision &quot;wonderful news.&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-24167802\" width=\"618\" height=\"927\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/selena-rodriguez-and-mom-02.png?w=1236 1236w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/selena-rodriguez-and-mom-02.png?w=927 927w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/selena-rodriguez-and-mom-02.png?w=618 618w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/selena-rodriguez-and-mom-02.png?w=309 309w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/selena-rodriguez-and-mom-02.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 618px) 100vw, 618px\"\/><figcaption>Tammy Rodriguez (left), a Connecticut mom who has sued Meta and Snap over the suicide of her 11-year-old daughter Selena (right), called the British decision \u201cwonderful news.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThese algorithms are very sophisticated artificial intelligence products, designed by social psychologists and computer scientists to addict our kids,\u201d Bergman claimed.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s worse, teens and pre-teens are prone to poor decision-making due to their brains\u2019 still-developing executive function skills.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI mean, that\u2019s what teenagers do \u2014\u00a0they make bad decisions,\u201d Bergman said. \u201cWe all did at that age. But in the past, bad teen decisions didn\u2019t stay online in perpetuity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Today, social media immortalizes and amplifies kids\u2019 inevitable mistakes, opening the door to bullying and blackmail, as well as anxiety and depression.  <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/destiny-tammy-selena-rodriguez-01.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Rodriguez (center, with daughters Destiny, left, and Selena) told The Post: \u201cHolding social media companies accountable will save children.&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-24168131\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/destiny-tammy-selena-rodriguez-01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/destiny-tammy-selena-rodriguez-01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/destiny-tammy-selena-rodriguez-01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Rodriguez (center, with daughters Destiny, left, and Selena) told The Post: \u201cHolding social media companies accountable will save children.\u201d<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of the Rodriguez Family<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened to Molly Russell was neither a coincidence nor an accident,\u201d Bergman claimed. \u201cIt was a direct and foreseeable consequence of an algorithmic recommendation system designed to place user engagement over and above user safety.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s profits over people,\u201d he alleged.<\/p>\n<p>And the social media behemoths have the power to stop much of the damage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is most distressing is that technologies that would remove 80% of the risk of these products already exist, and could be implemented in matter of weeks,\u201d Bergman claimed. \u201cAnd\u00a0these companies have decided, \u2018Well, if we implement that we\u2019ll lose user engagement, so we won\u2019t do it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"994\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/selena-rodriguez-and-mom-01.png?w=1024\" alt=\"According to mom Tammy Rodriguez's lawsuit, Selena committed suicide after her addiction to Instagram led to severe sleep deprivation.\" class=\"wp-image-24168215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/selena-rodriguez-and-mom-01.png?w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/selena-rodriguez-and-mom-01.png 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/selena-rodriguez-and-mom-01.png?w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>According to mom Tammy Rodriguez\u2019s lawsuit, Selena committed suicide after her addiction to Instagram led to severe sleep deprivation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>While eliminating the algorithms for kids could quickly cut down on addictive behaviors, age and identity verification may also immediately reduce online sexual abuse.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is nothing in any of the platforms to ensure that people are the appropriate age and to ensure that they are who they say they are,\u201d Bergman noted. \u201cBut this <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> is off-the-shelf \u2014 dating apps like Tinder use it all the time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf technology is good enough for folks who want to hook up, good Lord, we should be providing it to our kids,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>In the face of corporate inaction, state legislatures are teeing up a patchwork of laws aimed at making the internet safer for kids and teens.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"764\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/ian-russell-03.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Russell was reportedly &quot;shocked&quot; to see such subject lines as \u201c10 depression pins you might like&quot; piling up in his daughter's in-box.\" class=\"wp-image-24168308\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/ian-russell-03.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/ian-russell-03.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/ian-russell-03.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Russell was reportedly \u201cshocked\u201d to see such subject lines as \u201c10 depression pins you might like\u201d piling up in his daughter\u2019s in-box.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">PA Images via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>California\u2019s Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom last month, will<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/technology\/gavin-newsom-child-privacy-internet-legislation\"> impose tight data privacy settings<\/a> on the accounts of social media users under age 18 and require age verification for access. The measure, regarded as the strictest of its kind in the US, won\u2019t take effect until 2024.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe bill has a lot of promise,\u201d Bergman said.<\/p>\n<p>Other states are contemplating similar laws. A New York bill, introduced last month by state Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-Brooklyn), would require tech companies to establish a fast-access helpline for use when a child\u2019s data is compromised \u2014 essentially, a 911 for digital crimes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re not trying to shut down social media,\u201d Gounardes said. \u201cWe\u2019re just trying to put in place smart, thoughtful and important guardrails.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>None of the state laws in the pipeline crack down on the potentially damaging, yet immensely profitable, algorithms that the UK coroner found could do the greatest harm.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/marsha-blackburn-01.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee says Big Tech's inability to change has caused her to take action.\" class=\"wp-image-24167872\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/marsha-blackburn-01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/marsha-blackburn-01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/marsha-blackburn-01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee says Big Tech\u2019s inability to change has caused her to take action.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIf Instagram had done something as simple as let Molly reset her own algorithm without losing her friends or old posts, she might be alive today,\u201d Haugen said. \u201cShe shouldn\u2019t have had to choose between her past and her future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But a bipartisan bill that\u2019s stalled in the US Senate could do just that. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cBig Tech\u2019s unwillingness to change has prompted us to take action,\u201d said GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, who <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/117th-congress\/senate-bill\/3663\">wrote the Kids Online Safety Act<\/a> with Connecticut Democrat Sen. Richard Blumenthal.<\/p>\n<p>Introduced by the ideological rivals in February in the wake of Haugen\u2019s searing congressional testimony, the bill would let minors and their parents disable social media algorithms altogether. It would also require parental warnings when children access harmful material.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/frances-haugen-02.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Frances Haugen, the Facebook whistleblower who leaked thousands of internal documents in 2021 and exposed the company\u2019s addictive algorithms, told The Post that the coroner's finding in Molly's death will be &quot;the first of many.&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-24170571\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/frances-haugen-02.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/frances-haugen-02.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/frances-haugen-02.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Frances Haugen, the Facebook whistleblower who leaked thousands of internal documents in 2021 and exposed the company\u2019s addictive algorithms, told The Post that the coroner\u2019s finding in Molly\u2019s death will be \u201cthe first of many.\u201d<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images for Unfinished Live<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cSen. Blumenthal and I have heard countless stories of the physical and emotional damage caused by social media, and Molly Russell\u2019s story is utterly heartbreaking,\u201d Blackburn said. \u201cThe Kids Online Safety Act will require social media platforms to make safety \u2014 not profit \u2014 the default.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite support from both sides of the aisle and unanimous approval in the Senate Commerce Committee, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has not brought the bill to the floor for debate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is awaiting a full vote before the Senate, whenever Leader Schumer decides protecting children online is a priority,\u201d snarked a Senate aide.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s good that people on the right and on the left are recognizing that there are product design changes \u2026 that are necessary to keep kids safe,\u201d Haugen said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need to stop accepting that kids die from social media and act.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24\/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/suicidepreventionlifeline.org\/\">SuicidePreventionLifeline.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/10\/08\/molly-russells-death-may-spark-social-media-reforms-for-us-kids\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Molly Russell&#8217;s death may spark social media reforms for US kids&#8221; In a global first, a London coroner has blamed social media for the suicide of a teenage girl \u2014 potentially opening the legal floodgates against industry heavyweights like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok. But the tragic case of Molly Russell could also point the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":499517,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/molly-russell-social-media.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[122306,133972,70736,33423,70427,71741,4976,73247,71129],"class_list":["post-499516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-meta","tag-10-8-22","tag-deaths","tag-instagram","tag-pinterest","tag-snapchat","tag-social-media","tag-suicide","tag-teens"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/499516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=499516"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/499516\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/499517"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=499516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=499516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=499516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}