Social media warnings can encourage younger viewers
“HARMFUL content” warnings on social media posts increase the chance of teenagers viewing them as they seem “cooler”, Tiktok research has found.
A report by child psychology experts said children were more likely to click on posts for hoaxes and reckless challenges labelled “dangerous”.
They urged social media companies to attach warnings that the effects of taking part in such challenges could be “unpleasant” or “anti-social”.
Tiktok now intends to change the languages it uses for content warnings.
The findings come as the Chinesefounded tech giant commissioned research on how dangerous hoaxes and challenges spread on social networks.
Challenges such as Momo and blue whale encouraged children to selfharm and undertake dangerous stunts.
People recreated scenes from a Netflix series where characters drove blindfolded in the 2018 Bird Box challenge.
When such challenges arise tech companies often halt their spread by suppressing the hashtag and placing warnings over the posts.
The research, by experts including Dr Richard Graham of the London Tavistock clinic, said: “The panel were mindful of unintended consequences, where warning labels can serve to make content cooler and increase consumption of it, but it was agreed that low-key factual information could be useful.”
Not all online challenges were harmful and ones such as Ice Bucket, where people poured icy water over themselves, have raised millions for charity.
Children often became aware of more dangerous challenges on social media by people warning about them.
Some 54 per cent of 10,000 children polled in the UK and internationally said when they learned about hoaxes they tried to find out more information.
Only a quarter, 22 per cent, thought sharing a hoax or challenge was harmful as they felt it was important to warn their peers about dangerous ones.
Parents were conflicted about whether to talk to children about dangerous crazes; 19 per cent felt it was “risky or problematic” to make kids aware of challenges in the first place.
Dr Graham said: “Teens are often wanting to engage with things that they think may stretch them, so they don’t feel like a sort of child who’s easily frightened anymore, so they are engaging with hoaxes.”
Alexandra Evans, of Tiktok, added: “While not unique to any one platform, the effects and concerns are felt by all and we wanted to learn how we might develop even more effective responses.”