The Times Australia
The Times World News

.
Beatbot

.

Coroner finds social media contributed to 14-year-old Molly Russell’s death. How should parents and platforms react?

  • Written by Tama Leaver, Professor of Internet Studies, Curtin University
Coroner finds social media contributed to 14-year-old Molly Russell’s death. How should parents and platforms react?

Last week, London coroner Andrew Walker delivered his findings[1] from the inquest into 14-year-old schoolgirl Molly Russell’s death, concluding she “died from an act of self harm while suffering from depression and the negative effects of online content”.

The inquest heard Molly had used social media, specifically Instagram and Pinterest, to view large amounts of graphic content related to self-harm, depression and suicide in the lead-up to her death in November 2017.

The findings are a damning indictment of the big social media platforms. What should they be doing in response? And how should parents react in light of these events?

Social media use carries risk

The social media landscape of 2022 is different to the one Molly experienced in 2017. Indeed, the initial public outcry after her death saw many changes[2] to Instagram and other platforms to try and reduce material that glorifies depression or self-harm.

Instagram, for example, banned[3] graphic self-harm images, made it harder to search for non-graphic self-harm material, and started providing information about getting help when users made certain searches.

BBC journalist Tony Smith noted[4] that the press team for Instagram’s parent company Meta requested that journalists make clear these sorts of images are no longer hosted on its platforms. Yet Smith found some of this content was still readily accessible today.

Also, in recent years Instagram has[5] been[6] found[7] to host pro-anorexia accounts and content encouraging eating disorders. So although platforms may have made some positive changes over time, risks still remain.

That said, banning social media content is not necessarily the best approach.

Read more: Instagram can make teens feel bad about their body, but parents can help. Here's how[8]

What can parents do?

Here are some ways parents can address concerns about their children’s social media use.

Open a door for conversation, and keep it open

It’s not always easy to get young people to open up about what they’re feeling, but it’s clearly important to make it as easy and safe as possible for them to do so.

Research has shown[9] creating a non-judgemental space for young people to talk about how social media makes them feel will encourage them to reach out if they need help. Also, parents and young people can often learn from each other through talking about their online experiences.

Try not to overreact

Social media can be an important, positive and healthy part[10] of a young person’s life. It is where their peers and social groups are found, and during lockdowns was the only way many young people could support and talk to each other[11].

Completely banning social media may prevent young people from being a part of their peer groups, and could easily do more harm than good[12].

Negotiate boundaries together

Parents and young people can agree on reasonable rules for device and social media use. And such agreements can be very powerful.

They also present opportunities for parents and carers to model positive behaviours. For example, both parties might reach an agreement to not bring their devices to the dinner table, and focus on having conversations instead.

Another agreement might be to charge devices in a different room overnight so they can’t be used during normal sleep times.

What should social media platforms do?

Social media platforms have long faced a crisis of trust and credibility. Coroner Walker’s findings tarnish their reputation even further.

Now’s the time for platforms to acknowledge the risks present in the service they provide and make meaningful changes. That includes accepting regulation by governments.

More meaningful content moderation is needed

During the pandemic, more and more content moderation was automated. Automated systems are great when things are black and white, which is why they’re great at spotting extreme violence or nudity. But self-harm material is often harder to classify, harder to moderate[13] and often depends on the context it’s viewed in.

For instance, a picture of a young person looking at the night sky, captioned “I just want to be one with the stars”, is innocuous in many contexts and likely wouldn’t be picked up by algorithmic moderation. But it could flag an interest in self-harm if it’s part of a wider pattern of viewing.

Human moderators do a better job determining this context, but this also depends on how they’re resourced and supported. As social media scholar Sarah Roberts writes in her book Behind the Screen[14], content moderators for big platforms often work in terrible conditions, viewing many pieces of troubling content per minute, and are often traumatised themselves.

If platforms want to prevent young people seeing harmful content, they’ll need to employ better-trained, better-supported and better-paid moderators.

Harm prevention should not be an afterthought

Following the inquest findings, the new Prince and Princess of Wales astutely tweeted “online safety for our children and young people needs to be a prerequisite, not an afterthought”.

For too long, platforms have raced to get more users, and have only dealt with harms once negative press attention became unavoidable. They have been left to self-regulate for too long.

The foundation[15] set up by Molly’s family is pushing hard for the UK’s Online Safety Bill[16] to be accepted into law. This bill seeks[17] to reduce the harmful content young people see, and make platforms more accountable for protecting them from certain harms. It’s a start, but there’s already more that could be done[18].

In Australia the eSafety Commissioner has pushed for Safety by Design[19], which aims to have protections built into platforms from the ground up.

If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline[20] on 13 11 14.

References

  1. ^ delivered his findings (www.insider.com)
  2. ^ many changes (www.theguardian.com)
  3. ^ banned (about.instagram.com)
  4. ^ noted (twitter.com)
  5. ^ has (www.bbc.com)
  6. ^ been (www.buzzfeednews.com)
  7. ^ found (www.techtransparencyproject.org)
  8. ^ Instagram can make teens feel bad about their body, but parents can help. Here's how (theconversation.com)
  9. ^ has shown (thefoodmedic.co.uk)
  10. ^ healthy part (www.danah.org)
  11. ^ each other (psyarxiv.com)
  12. ^ harm than good (www.washingtonpost.com)
  13. ^ harder to moderate (www.wired.com)
  14. ^ Behind the Screen (yalebooks.yale.edu)
  15. ^ foundation (mollyrosefoundation.org)
  16. ^ Online Safety Bill (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
  17. ^ seeks (www.gov.uk)
  18. ^ more that could be done (5rightsfoundation.com)
  19. ^ Safety by Design (www.esafety.gov.au)
  20. ^ Lifeline (www.lifeline.org.au)

Read more https://theconversation.com/coroner-finds-social-media-contributed-to-14-year-old-molly-russells-death-how-should-parents-and-platforms-react-191757

The Times Features

How can brands recognise the very important role that visual content plays in the real world?

For nearly three decades, Getty Images and iStock have developed unparalleled expertise in understanding the impact of visual content on our world. During this time, one truth ...

Long COVID appears to be driven by ‘long infection’. Here’s what the science says

Around 5–10%[1] of people with COVID infections go on to experience long COVID, with symptoms lasting three months or more. Researchers have proposed several biological mechan...

Evaluating Costs and Benefits of DIY Plumbing vs. Professional Services in Newcastle

Plumbing is an essential service for homes and businesses in Newcastle, ensuring the smooth flow of water and sanitation facilities. As residents and businesses strive to maintai...

Tasting Australia welcomes Journey Beyond as new presenting partner

One of the country’s longest running food and beverage festivals, Tasting Australia has announced Journey Beyond as the festival’s new presenting partner for 2025 and beyond. Th...

There are 2 main ways to stretch – the one you should choose depends on what you want your body to do

Picture this: you’ve just woken up and rolled out of bed. Your feet hit the floor, and your legs buckle. They are in absolute agony – that run yesterday has really come back to...

Chef Tom Walton shares three top tips to create budget-friendly meals without compromising on flavour

Feeding the family on a budget doesn’t need to mean sacrificing flavour. Chef Tom Walton shares his top three tips for creating delicious and cost-effective meals. Here’s how y...

Times Magazine

The perfect picture: what makes dream Sydney wedding photography?

The photo album is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most important memento from any loving couple’s special day! It’s the keepsake that keeps on giving, the souvenir to saviour, and the perfect reminder of what was one of the biggest - and most jo...

The ultimate guide to test driving a new car

There’s something uniquely exciting about being in the market for a new car and getting to go out on test drives. The new gadgets you’ve never had before, that feeling of getting to grips with the handling of a new machine and, of course, the new...

Interview with author Christian White. His latest book The Ledge is out now

What inspired you to write the book? I’d always wanted to write a coming-of-age thriller. The book started as a love letter to all the coming-of-age books and movies that shaped me as a teenager: Lord of The Flies, It, The Body / Stand By Me, The ...

The Benefits of Outsourcing Custom Software Development Services to an Agile Development Company

In the fast-paced technological world of today, businesses are always looking for new methods to improve their operations, and the creation of custom software has become a crucial component of this process. Nevertheless, not every technology comp...

Types of EV Chargers

The world of electric vehicles is a confusing one, filled with abbreviations and acronyms that even the most seasoned EV drivers can't keep straight. It's also a rapidly changing landscape where cutting-edge technology is being developed at an in...

Apple releases iPhone 14, best deals and perks

Apple has unveiled its next generation tech and the hotly anticipated iPhone 14 with offers from Telstra, Optus and Vodafone up for grabs.Prices for the iPhone 14 line-up start at $1,399 and go up to $2,769.Finder’s Consumer Sentiment Tracker revea...