Toxic content on social networks erodes the morality of young people

The consequences have had serious impacts on the awareness and behavior of young people.

Worrying

Videos containing vulgar, violent, pornographic or hateful content are appearing more and more on TikTok, YouTube, Facebook... More worryingly, they not only exist but are also unintentionally or intentionally promoted and widely spread by many young people.

These offensive contents can make young people gradually consider it normal, changing their perception of moral standards. In particular, when deviant behaviors are idolized by “influencers”, many teenagers tend to imitate them, leading to an increase in deviant behaviors in society such as school violence, swearing, and even breaking the law.

Research from the American Psychological Association (APA) shows that too much exposure to negative content on social media can increase anxiety and depression levels in teenagers by up to 30%. Negative videos can make young people lose faith in life and even tend to self-harm.

In addition, sensational and curious content causes many teenagers to be caught up in the spiral of social media addiction. Many spend hours surfing social media, reducing their ability to communicate in real life, distancing themselves from real life and becoming increasingly isolated.

Exposure to harmful content also makes young people vulnerable to scams. Bad guys often use offensive videos to lure and trap people, especially those who are lured into prostitution and blackmailed with sensitive images.

Many groups on social media use content that incites violence to lure young people into criminal organizations or anti-state activities. Videos that distort history, defame individuals, and spread fake news can cause social instability and affect national security.

Act early on international standards

Faced with this alarming situation, many countries around the world have taken drastic measures to control and prevent the spread of toxic information.

The European Union (EU) has enacted the Digital Services Act (DSA), requiring social media platforms to remove harmful content within 24 hours of being detected. If violated, technology companies can be fined up to 6% of their global turnover.

China, on the other hand, uses a strict censorship system with the “Great Firewall”. Platforms like WeChat and Douyin (Chinese TikTok) must immediately block and delete offensive videos that violate standards.

The United States has implemented the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires platforms like YouTube and Facebook to automatically remove content that is inappropriate for users under the age of 13. Tighter controls on social media platforms are also being implemented in South Korea, with platforms like Naver and KakaoTalk required to strictly censor content. The Cyberbullying Law also allows victims to request removal of defamatory content within 3 hours.

Meanwhile, Singapore has implemented the POFMA Cybersecurity Law, which allows the government to require platforms to block harmful content, with fines of up to $1 million for violations.

For Vietnam, in the face of the current situation of harmful information spreading on cyberspace, Vietnam needs to have synchronous solutions to protect users, especially the young generation. It is necessary to require the units managing the platforms Facebook, YouTube, TikTok... to be responsible for removing harmful content in the shortest time, similar to what the EU and Singapore are doing.

AI technology can be used in content censorship to help detect and block illegal content as soon as it appears, preventing it from spreading widely. Digital education programs need to be developed and taught early to help students properly perceive the risks of social networks, thereby taking preventive measures.

Parents also need to accompany their children, control the content their children access online, and at the same time strengthen education on ethics and life skills to help children protect themselves.

Social media is a double-edged sword. Without strict control, bad and toxic information will become a “time bomb”, causing negative impacts on both individuals and society. Handling offensive, vulgar and depraved content requires the cooperation of the Government, social media platforms and the community to build a healthier online environment.