Robert F. Lawlor Jr, MS-ADPP, MS, BSCJ (Drug Intelligence Officer, New England HIDTA), explains how easily social media algorithms deliver drug content to children at #AskTheExperts webinar “Social Media, Drugs, and Youth: What Parents Need to Know” on February 15, 2023.
[Robert Lawlor]: Social media – a lot of it has to do with the algorithms. And social medla algorithms send drug content to your kids. And in 2021, the Wall Street Journal did an investigation where they created fake accounts of children who were supposed to be 13 to 15. And one account got over 569 videos of drug use which included cocaine and methamphetamine.These Internet companles and these social media companies, they just send these videos and drug dealers right to your kids in your own living room through their mobile devices. And It’s pretty scary. Instagram also banned some drug-related hashtags like “#MDMA” which is for the party drug ecstasy. But again, Instagram is a bad actor. If teens search for “#MDMA,” Instagram will autofill alternative hashtags for the sarne drug into the search bar and bring the children right to these videos and these Instagram stories.
View the full webinar
Social Media and Drugs: What Parents Need to Know
A glimpse into the world of teens and drugs on social media, and practical information to increase awareness and ability to safeguard adolescents and teens
Colleen Kraft, MD, MBA, FAAP
Professor of Pediatrics
Tim Mackey, MAS, PhD
Professor of Global Health; Director; CEO and co-founder
Robert F. Lawlor Jr, MS-ADPP, MS, BSCJ
Drug Intelligence Officer
Samuel Chapman
Director
Is AI safe for children?
Are generative AI programs like ChatGPT safe for kids? Should AI come with a child-lock or warning label?
How do platforms verify children’s ages?
There’s extensive talk about age verification. But what is it? How do platforms make sure users are old enough? And can they do a better job?
AI and Children
A visual digest of current research on AI and children.
What is Generative AI?
What is Generative AI? How does it work, and what makes it “intelligent” in the first place?
Youth and Generative AI: A Guide for Parents and Educators
The emergence of generative AI technology and the risks and opportunities it poses for children and families.
AI and Children: Risks and Opportunities of the Enhanced Internet
Generative AI technologies like ChatGPT are changing the nature of online communications, work, creativity, and learning. What are the impacts to children’s social and cognitive development in this new, turbocharged Internet?