THE serious discourse going on in a Superior Court in Los Angeles about how social media is addicting the brains of children, is of tremendous importance to the larger humanity in the current age of advanced technology as part of the fourth industrial revolution. A strong case is being built by lawyers and jurors about the terrible and negative impact of various digital social media platforms on young minds. The makers of those digital applications and platforms are offering their own defence, but the tone and tenor of the argument appears to go against the ill-effects on young brains. The landmark trial looks like seeking to hold platforms such as Instagram and YouTube responsible for harms to children who use those products. The outcome of such a discourse as part of a legal scrutiny will have a far-reaching ramification for the modern human society the world over. Of course, no matter the outcome of the landmark Los Angeles trial, it is less likely that Instagram or YouTube or any other similar platforms would mend their ways and withdraw negative features of their digital programmes.

 

For, when commerce becomes an overwhelming consideration, spiritual goals of humanity appear to be of no value to the people who promote the concept of science without scruples. A similar result could be expected from the Los Angeles trial as well -- which will be terribly unfortunate for the larger humanity. Thinkers, social reformers, philosophers and spiritual gurus the world over have been campaigning against the ill-effects of addictive digital platforms that affect the young brains negatively and cause them psychological, spiritual and even physical harms. All that campaign around the world has had no desired effect on the process of dishing out addictive social media platforms that corrupt young minds in particular. It is obvious that the promoters of technology appear to have no moral pangs whatsoever about the ill-effects their products have on human mind -- especially of the young. The death by joint suicide of three teenage sisters of Gaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) as part of ‘task’ in a PubG game should actually shake the larger society out of its slumber on the issue.

 

The three girls jumped from a high rise building in which they lived after writing in their diary ‘everything’ they wished to tell the world. The girls are gone, but their family would live with that grief all their life. Stunned by grief, their father said in utter disbelief that he did not even know that there was something called ‘tasks’ in the PubG games and that the task could lead the players to jumping to death. Such cases must be happening in good numbers all over the world.

 

Yet, the larger human community does not appear to have resolved to find a studied response to the nonsense. Cases also have surfaced at countless places of suicide by young persons -- mostly in their teen years -- because their families denied them the possession of smart phones through which they could access various dangerous and undesirable games, or see undesirable -- even pornographic -- materials and derive an uncouth pleasure of senses. Despite these, the larger society has refused to wake up and take appropriate steps legally and socially. In schools also, there is only marginal awareness of the harm social media addiction can cause to the young people. True, the number of activists campaigning against the abusive attributes of social media and digital platforms has been on the increase over the past some time. Yet, it must be said with much sadness that the larger society has not accepted its folly in stemming the negative tide of addictive digital platforms that spoil young minds. If the Los Angeles trial leads to some opening up of closed minds on the issue, a reasonable social goal would be achieved. No matter what loss commerce would suffer, it is important that the larger society will have to wake up to the ugly possibility of spiritual damage to humanity.