I like Greek mythology. Take, for instance, Pandora’s Box.
Let me quote in part from GreekBoston.com to get the mythic tale correct:
“Zeus created a woman named Pandora. She was molded to look like the beautiful goddess Aphrodite. She received the gifts of wisdom, beauty, kindness, peace, generosity, and health from the Gods…Zeus brought her to Earth to be Epimetheus’ wife…
“As a wedding present, Zeus gave Pandora a box (in ancient Greece this was called a jar) but warned her never to open it…Pandora, who was created to be curious, couldn’t stay away from the box and the urge to open the box overcame her. Horrible things flew out of the box including greed, envy, hatred, pain, disease, hunger, poverty, war, and death. All of life’s miseries had been let out into the world. Pandora slammed the lid of the box back down. The last thing remaining inside of the box was hope…”
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “anything that looks ordinary but may produce unpredictable harmful results can thus be called a Pandora’s Box.”
And once it’s out, it’s out. The same can be said of TikTok, the wildly popular, social media app that allows users to create, share and watch short videos. If I were a young person today, I’d be on TikTok.
The average age of a TikTok user falls within the range of 16 to 24 years old.
Here in New Hampshire, Attorney General John M. Formella is trying to hammer the lid shut, once and for all. A few weeks ago, Formella announced that the Granite State was filing a lawsuit against TikTok, Inc. alleging unfair and deceptive acts or practices for harming the mental health and well-being of children.
Gov. Chris Sununu agrees with the attorney general stating “New Hampshire puts our kids first. This lawsuit, combined with our earlier Executive Order investigating the harms of social media on New Hampshire’s youth, is another wake-up call for parents on the dangers that social media presents to our kids.”
It’s a noble gesture but, perhaps a silly one that violates our First Amendment’s Freedom of Speech.
One could argue that social media belonged inside Pandora’s Box. Unfortunately, it was unleashed upon the world, and now, we have TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, smartphone addiction and more.
Fomella and Sununu are right when they say parents should be alert about what their children do online. They mention that young social media users often become hooked on these platforms for hours on end. This can lead to “depression, anxiety and isolation from friends and family.”
It’s a major problem to tackle, and the numbers are staggering. Common Sense Media reports that 42% of kids have a phone by age 10. By age 12, it’s 71%, and by 14, it’s 91%.
The United States Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, recently announced that he’d urge Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms stating that social media use can harm teenagers’ mental health.
Silly, also.
Maybe Formella and Sununu could push for “phone-free schools” such as the Sunshine State’s 2023 law. All Florida public schools are required to “ban student cellphone use during class time and block access to social media on district Wi-Fi. Some districts, including Orange County Public Schools, went further and banned phones the entire school day,” said the Associated Press.
Hey, it’s summertime; hopefully, young people are having a ball outdoors and spending more time off-screen.
Joan T. Stylianos
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