From greenwashing to screenwashing?

Area of Science:

• Digital Media Studies
• Child Psychology
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• Social media platforms increasingly face scrutiny over their impact on child mental health and problematic usage patterns.
• Existing platform features aimed at mitigating harm are often criticized as insufficient or performative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and define the concept of 'screenwashing' in the context of social media.
• To analyze specific platform features, such as TikTok's and Instagram's one-hour notifications, as examples of screenwashing.
• To advocate for regulatory measures to protect young users from the negative consequences of social media.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis and critical examination of social media platform practices.
• Review of platform features designed to address user well-being and problematic use.
• Argumentative synthesis based on ethical considerations and potential user impact.

Main Results:

• Identified 'screenwashing' as a deceptive practice where platforms exaggerate social responsibility.
• Demonstrated how features like one-hour usage alerts on TikTok and Instagram exemplify screenwashing.
• Highlighted the potential for these practices to mislead parents and young individuals about platform safety.

Conclusions:

• Screenwashing is an unethical strategy employed by social media companies to create a facade of responsibility.
• Superficial features do not adequately address the risks of problematic social media use among youth.
• Government intervention is crucial to implement effective safeguards and protect children from digital harms.