Social media's beauty filters may look harmless – but they're quietly affecting Black youths' mental health

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<p class="dcr-130mj7b">People of color have long critiqued social media filters for perpetuating Eurocentric beauty standards. In one TikTok video, a young Black woman who used the app's glow filter was vexed that her brown eyes transformed to blue. In another video, a user wrote that she liked a face-altering filter until she realized that it generated the appearance of a smaller nose. Now, new research shows that such filters, along with a collection of other race-related online experiences, can negatively affect Black adolescents' sleep and ability to concentrate on schoolwork the following day.</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">A new study published in the Jama Network that looked at Black adolescents' exposure to online racism – including traumatic videos of police violence, online racial discrimination and racial bias perpetuated by AI – can cause increased anxiety and depression. On average, Black adolescents experienced six race-related online experiences everyday – 3.2 of which were online racism, and 2.8 of which were positive.</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">The research was led by Brendesha Tynes, a University of Southern California education professor and co-authored by Devin English, a Rutgers public health associate professor, and Taylor McGee, a Christopher Newport University assistant professor. They also analyzed survey data from 141 adolescents of Black descent between 11 to 19 years old throughout the nation.</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">As online hate speech increases and the federal government cracks down on diversity initiatives, which Tynes said has spurred the normalization of racism, investigations into youth's exposure to online racism is more important than ever. "We need studies that are documenting what's happening," Tynes said. "And also we need platforms to help people to manage those experiences, to critique them."</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">In the absence of federal oversight to prevent online racism, Tynes said she hoped that states would "stand up to the current pressure to be silent on what's happening, that they'll create policies that specifically will protect young people of color from these experiences".</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">The study began with a nationally representative sample of 1,138 white, Black, Latino and multiracial adolescents recruited by Ipsos' KnowledgePanel, a US online research panel. Out of the larger sample, 504 participants were asked to complete a seven-day survey for a nationwide look at young people's online behaviors in December 2020. While the study authors only focused on Black participants' responses, they hope to compare those experiences to that of adolescents of different races in the future.</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">Some of the questions measured respondents' mental health by asking them to write whether they had trouble falling asleep, concentrating on their school work, or if they were on edge on a scale from one, "not at all", to four, "constantly", over the last 24 hours. The study authors found that youth exposed to algorithmic bias reported depressive and anxious symptoms a day later. And participants who experienced more algorithmic bias also had higher levels of anxiety, regardless of their age or gender.</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">"We expected each of the three types of online racism to be associated with the next day's depressive and anxiety symptoms," Tynes told the Guardian. "But I was still surprised that the algorithmic bias items were associated with mental health. It was the first time we were actually measuring it and although we expected it I was surprised that we actually found what we expected."</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">Respondents reported experiencing algorithmic bias one time per day every three days. Some of the survey questions about algorithmic bias included how many times in the past year that a filter made them look more European by lightening their skin and straightening their hair, or whether their content about racial justice didn't get likes because a platform suppressed it.</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">Questions about positive experiences that they had online around race included how many times they saw favorable comments or information about their race on a television show, film, a cultural website or social media. Another question asked how many times they learned something positive online about their race's contributions to society in the past 24 hours. Participants had an average of 19.6 positive experiences per week, compared with more than 22 racist experiences online.</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">"Given what we found in this study, it's very, very concerning," said English. "Companies will not regulate themselves on this and that's the role of the government to step in. We haven't seen any federal level legislation to protect young people from the harms of social media and the harms of AI."</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">Aside from affecting Black youth's mental health, said Tynes, algorithmic bias can yield deadly consequences. Before Dylann Roof killed nine Black people in a South Carolina church in 2015, he typed "Black on white crime", into Google, according to his manifesto, and the search algorithm's results brought him to white supremacist sites that deepened his bias.</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">"Instead of him getting, at the time, the justice department's actual facts on crime and who's committing it," said Tynes, "he got these biased white supremacist results, and then that fueled his desire to commit a massacre."</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">Tynes wants youth to be armed with digital literacy tools that help them navigate algorithmic bias that perpetuates racism. Along with other researchers and designers at USC and the University of Maryland, she hopes to launch a platform next spring that offers virtual reality experiences, digital literacy and mental health tools to help youth learn how to, she said, "critique, counter and cope with the messages that they get online". It will include modules where youth learn how racism gets introduced to online spaces.</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">In the future, the study authors plan to collect and analyze youth's responses for longer than a week's time. Tynes also wants to see how the role of resilience and positive cultural messages helps adolescents navigate online racism. Tynes is curious about "how young people are using their creativity, the skills they got from being told about their group's history, and how their parents instill pride".</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">She hopes to analyze whether teaching Black history in schools imparts students with the knowledge and confidence needed to "help people protect themselves, critique the messages, and place them in historical context so that they don't have the impact that they have".</p>
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🤔 I'm really disturbed by this study on how social media filters and online racism can negatively impact Black adolescents' mental health 🚨. The fact that they reported increased anxiety and depression after exposure to algorithmic bias is concerning, and it's surprising that such effects were found even in the absence of direct racist comments or interactions 💔.

The importance of digital literacy tools cannot be overstated 📚. It's crucial for young people to learn how to navigate online spaces critically and develop resilience against biased algorithms and hate speech 🌐. The proposed platform by Brendesha Tynes is a great step in this direction, but more needs to be done to address the root causes of online racism and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion 🌈.

As we move forward, it's essential to prioritize research on the impact of social media on mental health and develop policies that protect young people from online harm 📊. The lack of federal legislation to regulate social media companies is alarming, and states need to step up to create policies that safeguard youth from algorithmic bias 🗽️.

Let's work together to create a safer online environment for everyone 🌐💖
 
🤔 I feel so bad for these young Black teens having to deal with all this online racism and algorithmic bias 🙅‍♂️. It's just not fair that they're being exposed to all this negativity on social media and it's affecting their mental health 🤕. The fact that they're experiencing 3.2 instances of online racism every day is just staggering 📉.

I wish there was more awareness about the impact of social media on our youth 😔. It's not just about being safe online, but also about teaching them how to critically think and navigate these platforms 💡. I hope that researchers like Brendesha Tynes are working towards creating tools and resources that can help them develop digital literacy skills 🤝.

We need to take responsibility as parents and caregivers to make sure our kids are not only safe online, but also equipped with the skills they need to thrive in this digital world 💻. This includes having open conversations about online safety, media literacy, and digital citizenship 👥.

I'm so glad that there's a study being conducted on this topic 📊. It's time for us to take action and create policies that protect our youth from online racism and algorithmic bias 🚫. We can't just sit back and wait for the government to step in; we need to be proactive about creating change 🔄.

This is such an important issue, and I hope that it will spark a conversation that will lead to meaningful action 🔥. Our young people deserve nothing but the best, and it's up to us as a society to provide them with the resources and support they need to succeed 🌟.
 
🤔 This new research on how social media filters and online racism affect Black adolescents' sleep and ability to concentrate in schoolwork is really concerning. 🌃 I think it's great that the study authors are trying to document what's happening and propose ways to manage these experiences, like creating digital literacy tools that help youth navigate algorithmic bias. 💻 It would be awesome if platforms could integrate more diversity initiatives and regulation to prevent online racism. 🚫 As Tynes said, "We need studies that are documenting what's happening" - it's time for the government and tech companies to step up and create policies that protect young people of color from these experiences. 💪
 
omg this is so worrying 😱 these social media filters are affecting black adolescents' mental health and ability to focus in school. it's like they're being constantly bombarded with racist content and algorithms that perpetuate eurocentric beauty standards. we need more research on how to help young people navigate online racism 🤝 and also some major intervention from the government, like legislation to regulate social media and AI. this isn't just about individual kids, it's about creating a society where everyone can thrive and be seen in a positive light 💖
 
🤔 This new research on how social media filters and online racism affect Black adolescents' mental health is super concerning... I mean, who wants to see their brown eyes turn blue just because they used the wrong filter? 🙄

But seriously, it's sad that young people of color have to deal with this stuff every day. Algorithmic bias can be super damaging, and it's crazy that companies aren't regulating themselves enough on this. I guess we need more government oversight to protect these kids... 👮‍♀️

It's also interesting that the study found a correlation between online racism and anxiety/depression symptoms in Black adolescents. That makes total sense, right? 🤯 But what's really needed is a platform that helps young people learn how to critique and cope with these messages. 💡 Maybe something like a digital literacy tool or a virtual reality experience?

I'm curious to see what the future research plans are – analyzing responses for longer than a week, studying resilience and positive cultural messages... it's all about giving these kids the tools they need to succeed in this crazy online world. 🌎
 
🤔 this study is really eye-opening... i think its super important we need more research on how social media affects our mental health 📊 especially for black adolescents who already face so much racism and bias in their daily lives 🌎 it's crazy to me that these companies like google aren't taking responsibility for the harm they're causing with their algorithms 💸 Brendesha Tynes is speaking truth here... we need more resources and tools to help people navigate online racism and bias, especially for our youth 🚀

the fact that these platforms arent regulating themselves is just wild... 🤯 it's like they think its okay to just let companies like facebook and twitter run amok with no oversight 🚫 the government needs to step in here and create some real policies to protect young people from online harm 👮‍♀️ we need this study and more research to understand the impact of social media on our mental health 💕
 
This social media stuff is just plain weird 🤯. These algorithms are basically creating these false realities for people of color, making them feel like they don't belong in the world. It's like, I remember back when we used to have to deal with stereotypes and racism, but at least we could look up to our favorite celebrities and see ourselves reflected in the media 🤷‍♂️.

And now these companies are just amplifying it with their fancy algorithms and filters. It's like, they're trying to sell us a dream world where everyone is equal, but really they're just perpetuating the same old biases 🤑. I mean, what's next? Are they gonna make me look 10 years younger just because I'm using their app 😂?

But seriously, this stuff is serious business. These kids are getting anxious and depressed from dealing with all these hate messages online. We need to do something about it, like create some new laws or guidelines that protect young people from this online toxicity 📚.

And what's up with the government not doing anything? I mean, I know they're busy with other stuff, but come on! This is a crisis situation 🚨. We need some leadership to step in and say, "Hey, we got this!" 💪
 
omg 😱 this study is like totally mindblowing... i mean we already knew social media was bad for mental health but i had no idea it was affecting black adolescents so deeply 🤕. algorithmic bias is like, super real and it's not just about racism it's also about perpetuating eurocentric beauty standards which is why that one tiktok video of the black woman with brown eyes turned blue was so problematic 💁‍♀️.

i'm glad researchers are finally starting to study this stuff because we need more awareness and action 🎯. Brendesha Tynes' idea of launching a platform that offers virtual reality experiences, digital literacy, and mental health tools is genius 🤓. i wish something like that existed already so black youth could learn how to navigate online racism and bias.

it's also crazy that the government isn't doing more to regulate social media and protect young people from these harms 🚫. companies will not do it on their own and we need laws in place to prevent online racism and ensure digital literacy education becomes a priority 📚.

i'm so down for this study's findings and i hope it sparks change 💪
 
💡 The study on Black adolescents' exposure to online racism and algorithmic bias is super concerning 🤕. It shows how these online experiences can negatively affect their mental health, sleep, and ability to concentrate on schoolwork the next day 😴.

I think it's essential for social media platforms and governments to take responsibility for creating safe spaces for young people of color 🌎. The fact that companies won't regulate themselves on this issue is alarming 🚨. We need more studies like this one to document what's happening and for policymakers to create policies that protect young people from these experiences 📝.

I also appreciate Brendesha Tynes' call for digital literacy tools to help youth navigate algorithmic bias 🔍. A virtual reality platform that offers digital literacy, mental health tools, and modules on critical thinking and resilience could be a game-changer 🚀.

This study highlights the need for us to critically think about our online interactions and how they impact others 💡. We should all strive to create spaces where young people of color can feel safe, supported, and empowered 🌈.
 
🤔 online racism is getting way out of hand... i mean, i'm glad people are speaking up about how these filters and algorithms can affect black youth, but at the same time, it's wild to think that something as simple as google search results could fuel someone's desire for violence against others. 😲

i've been noticing this too with my younger cousins who use tiktok and instagram - they're always complaining about how their features get altered in these filters and how it makes them look 'white'. i don't know what the solution is, but maybe we need to create more digital literacy programs that teach kids (and adults) how to navigate online spaces without falling prey to biases. 🤓

anyway, i think this study is a good start - now let's hope the government and tech companies take notice and start implementing some real change 💥
 
lol what's up people 😂

so there's this new research out and it's saying that social media filters can be super damaging for black adolescents 🤕 like they're more likely to have trouble sleeping and concentrating because of all the racist stuff they see online 📊

some kids are even experiencing algorithmic bias which is like when the filter makes you look whiter or more european 💁‍♀️ it's not just about looks though, it can also affect their mental health anxiety and depression 🤯

the researchers want to create a platform that helps youth learn how to critique and cope with online racism 🔍💻 it's a good idea imo 👌
 
ugh man i'm literally shaking right now reading this 🤯 its like we're living in some kinda nightmare where social media companies are just gonna keep pushing out these racist filters and algorithms without any consequences whatsoever... meanwhile our young black kids are struggling to sleep and focus on their schoolwork because of it 😩

i mean what's the point of even having diversity initiatives if we're not gonna hold the companies accountable for perpetuating this stuff? 🤷‍♂️ Brendesha Tynes is right, we need more studies like this and we need platforms to help people manage these experiences... and most importantly, we need federal legislation to regulate these companies and protect our youth 💪

and can we talk about how algorithmic bias is just as deadly as any old-fashioned hate crime? 🤯 I mean the example with Dylann Roof is just chilling... he types this stuff into Google and gets these biased results that fuel his desire to commit a massacre... it's like, what are we even doing here? 😱
 
🤔 I'm really worried about the effects of social media filters on our youth, especially those from marginalized communities. It seems like these filters are not only perpetuating Eurocentric beauty standards but also having a negative impact on their mental health 🌫️. The fact that they can cause anxiety and depression is concerning, and it's even more alarming when you think about the role of algorithmic bias in this 🤖.

What do you think can be done to create digital literacy tools that help youth navigate these issues? Should there be stricter regulations on social media platforms to prevent online racism? 🤝
 
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