Health Communication Weekly | 9.21.24

Communication Priorities: Social Media and Smartphones Disrupt Child Development

Want to understand how social media has impacted youth mental health? This AMA Update podcast episode is worth the listen. This story starts in 2010 – yes, before the COVID-19 pandemic – and culminates in the present, where the suicide rate among people aged 10-24 is nearly 45% higher. Jonathan Haidt, PhD, explains how smartphones changed everything and how sleep deprivation, social deprivation, attention fragmentation, and digital addictions are plaguing our youth. Dr. Haidt recommends shifting our norms to address these issues – health communication can help with this. He suggests: 1) no smartphones before high school, 2) no social media before age 16, 3) phone-free schools, and 4) getting kids out of the house and into the real world for unsupervised free play with mixed age groups so they can develop social skills, independence, and responsibility.

Honorable mentions: FDA has approved an at-home flu vaccine, whooping cough cases are returning to pre-pandemic patterns, nearly 2 million people could die annually from drug-resistant infections by 2050

The 2024 US Presidential Election and Public Health

Get a breakdown of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump’s records on public health and health care, including their approaches on Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, public health infrastructure, drug policy, and child abuse and domestic violence prevention. TLDR: Harris’s approach emphasizes expansion and protection, while Trump’s record shows attempts to cut funding and weaken existing healthcare and public health infrastructure.

Round-Up: Two Types of Influencers to Consider for Health Communication

1. Virtual Influencers - These computer-generated fictional characters are digital personalities that exist primarily on social media. Available data suggests that 16% of people in the US are “very familiar” with virtual influencers, and over 50% follow at least one. There are 35 verified virtual influencer accounts on Instagram.
2. Granfluencers - These social media influencers are generally Baby Boomers aged 60 years or older. Some have amassed millions of young followers with their authenticity (no filters or pretense), positivity, and wisdom. Available data suggests that content creation is highest among granfluencers ages 75 to 84.

Most E-Cigarette Ads on Instagram Don’t Comply with FDA Rules?

A new study found that 87% of Instagram posts from 25 different synthetic nicotine brands did not comply with FDA health warning requirements. Based on the study’s findings, posts with health warnings receive fewer likes and comments than posts without them. Furthermore, the larger the warning label, the fewer comments on the posts. Having appropriately sized and placed health warning labels – the labels should take up at least 20% of the ad – could reduce the reach of those ads, potentially decreasing youth exposure to e-cigarette ads on social media. Youth who are exposed to e-cigarette ads are more likely to use e-cigarettes.?

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