Tag: technology

When Connection Becomes Isolation

The internet was supposed to bring us together. That was the dream when it first landed in our homes—instant communication, access to communities that stretched beyond our neighborhoods, endless possibilities for learning and friendship. And in some ways, it delivered. But over time the cracks started to show.

Research tells the story. A Pew study found that people who spend more time on social media are 30% less likely to even know their neighbors. In the UK, researchers tracked broadband expansion and found civic engagement dropped as internet use went up. Here at home, one in four Americans now eats every single meal alone, a number that’s jumped over 50% since 2003. And for our kids, the Surgeon General has sounded the alarm: heavy social media use is tied to more loneliness, lower happiness, and in some cases real harm to mental health.

You don’t really need the stats to see it. It’s in the teenager scrolling through dinner instead of joining the conversation, in the quiet weekend afternoons where everyone’s in separate rooms on separate screens. It’s the way public “third spaces”—places like libraries, parks, and coffee shops—feel emptier than they used to. Without those spaces, kids miss out on casual face-to-face moments that teach empathy, trust, and how to be part of something bigger than themselves.

When Online Spaces Work—and When They Don’t

That doesn’t mean everything online is bad. For some kids—especially the ones who feel out of place in school or live in areas without a lot to do—the internet can be a lifeline. It can help them find friends who share their interests, get support, or connect with people who understand what they’re going through.

The trouble is when online life becomes the only space. Without real-world connection, relationships flatten. The tone of someone’s voice, the quick smile across a table, the way you read a room—those don’t translate well to a chat box. Sociologist Sherry Turkle calls it “connected loneliness.” Always reachable, never really together.

Turning It Around

Here’s the good news: we can do something about it. The internet can still be a tool for connection if we treat it like one.

As parents, that starts with modeling it ourselves—phones away during meals, no half-listening while scrolling, making space for actual conversation. We can nudge our kids to use the internet as a bridge to real life: set up a park day in the group chat, invite friends over for a game night they planned online, or join a club they found through social media.

And we can bring back those third spaces as part of family life. Visit the library together, go to community events, get involved in something local. The more our kids see connection happening in real life, the more they’ll understand that while screens are fine, people are better.

The internet didn’t have to make us feel so far apart. It’s not too late to use it to bring us closer again.

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Echo Chambers and the Problems With Modern Day Media

If your teen only ever sees TikTok, memes, and videos that agree with what they already believe, they might be stuck in what’s called an “echo chamber.” Social media algorithms are designed to keep kids (and adults!) engaged by showing them more of what they already like — but that can also mean they’re rarely exposed to different points of view. Over time, this can make it harder for them to think critically, have open-minded conversations, or tell the difference between facts and opinions.

Social media platforms are designed to keep users engaged. The average kid isn’t interested in understanding how social media algorithms work. This paired with humans inherit nature to watch content that affirms their biases creates a negative and harmful feedback loop. I myself have ……….as a 20 year old college student. I have been very active in the gym and as someone who started going a lot recently I have been attempting to perfect my workout regimen. Engaging with gym content has increased the amount of gym content I see but the algorithm links liking gym content to being right wing and harmful practices to increase looks which younger people refer to as looksmaxing which is a whole other issue on its own but for the sake of staying on topic looks maxing is a harmful trend of doing everything including harmful practices to your body/face to look your best but in turn it has created a lot of insecurities for young boys. Research from the University of Texas at Austin finds, “social media companies therefore rely on adaptive algorithms to assess our interests and flood us with information that will keep us scrolling.” These algorithms create a feedback loop where users are continuously shown content that reinforces their existing views while being shielded from opposing perspectives. Think about the young boy who sees a Charlie Kirk debate and engages with the content and then all of a sudden is receiving and engaging with extreme right wing content in their feed. This selective exposure to information fosters a “biased, tailored media experience” that contributes to the development of echo chambers.As humans we are programmed to take the easiest path forward and as we age we learn engaging with difficulties is what makes us stronger. A young kid who has not learned these lessons yet is subjected to continued confirmation bias hindering their ability to grow. 

Subhed about echo chambers

A significant consequence of echo chambers is the amplification of confirmation bias, a psychological phenomenon where individuals favor information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs. Social media platforms actively facilitate this bias by connecting users with like-minded individuals and content creating an ideological bubble in which users are rarely exposed to contradictory viewpoints. In turn, they become more entrenched in their beliefs, less willing to engage with alternative perspectives, and more susceptible to misinformation.

Echo chambers don’t just shape opinions — they can also help spread false or harmful information, especially around sensitive topics like race. When kids only hear one side of a story, or keep seeing the same messages over and over from like-minded voices, it’s easy for stereotypes and misinformation to take hold. Some of the most dangerous content spreads this way, reinforcing prejudice and driving people further apart. The Brookings Institution identifies echo chambers as one of the four primary mechanisms through which racist misinformation proliferates on social media, alongside stereotyping, scapegoating, and allegations of reverse racism. That’s why it’s so important to help our kids recognize when they’re in an online bubble — and to teach them how to question what they see and hear.

As part of a two-phase framework, disinformation begins with seeding, where intentional falsehoods are planted, followed by the echoing phase, where participants cocreate the contentious narratives that disseminate disinformation. The second phase of echoing is especially troubling because, as the study argues, “disinformation encourages consumers to use any argumentative means at their disposal to win adversarial narratives, which defy fact-checking because identity cannot be proved wrong”. This resistance to fact-checking is a key feature of how echo chambers protect disinformation.

Moreover, the article explains that this phenomenon is not limited to falsehoods but can also involve “truths, half-truths, and value-laden judgments,” This is especially troubling as kids are not always honest. Kids are less likely to fact check their sources due to confirmation bias and these half truths serve to “exploit and amplify identity-driven controversies”. These complex layers of misinformation contribute to the creation of “adversarial narratives embedded in identity-driven controversies”. The flat Earth example discussed in the study provides a concrete case of how such misinformation circulates within echo chambers. Famous basketball player Kyrie Irving was someone who amplified this myth which kids directly look up to. Despite overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary, participants in the flat Earth community reject counter arguments, engaging in “back-and-forth argumentation” that “solidifies viewpoints” and resists fact-checking. Some children might view this as who is a Kyrie supporter and who isn’t verus who is scientifically correct and who is not. 

Furthermore, echo chambers contribute to the marginalization of radical views in traditional media and the rise of extreme ideologies online. Historically, when children would watch the news with their parents the media companies were consolidated around a few powerful outlets, leading to a narrow range of views being represented. While one could argue this suppresses other viewpoints, social media has platformed extremist thinking and disguised it as viewpoints to be accepted. I want to bring this back to the looksmaxing example as we teach our kids to love themselves as they are and social media has platformed a community that will promote steroid to developing teenagers as a way they can get taller and be more attractive.The acceptance of these putrid ideologies paired with echo chambers allow these extremists to disseminate targeted disinformation to audiences predisposed to accept it, fueling polarization and violence.

The spread of hate speech within these echo chambers is another dangerous consequence of their existence. A study analyzing over 32 million posts across multiple social networks found that extremists often dominate these spaces, escalating the diffusion of hate speech. As the study found, “hatemongers often dominate these echo chambers, escalating the diffusion of hate speech and fostering polarized communities.” By isolating users in these ideological silos, echo chambers facilitate the spread of radical and hateful rhetoric that not only reinforces discriminatory beliefs but also escalates the potential for real-world violence. This dynamic creates a dangerous feedback loop, in which online hate speech feeds offline violence, contributing to a cycle of social fragmentation and insecurity.

Echo chambers present a multifaceted problem for our blossoming youth. They create environments where misinformation and disinformation can spread unchecked, where confirmation bias reigns, and where extremist ideologies are allowed to flourish. The impact of echo chambers on children is profound: they perpetuate racism, increase the spread of hate speech, and escalate the potential for violence. This is a major issue as hateful thinking is taught at a young age and our adolescent years are where we learn the most. Addressing this issue is crucial for the health of public discourse and the future of children.

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Not a Toy: The Hidden Dangers of AI Chatbots for Children

In bedrooms, on bus rides, and between classes, children are turning to AI chatbots not just for homework help—but for companionship, advice, and affirmation. What many parents see as a harmless digital curiosity may be altering how young minds develop, and not for the better. Chatbot apps are being downloaded by millions of users worldwide, and children make up a rapidly growing share of that population. These apps are often free, easy to use, and instantly gratifying. They don’t judge. They don’t get tired. For a child or teen feeling lonely, curious, or bored, these bots can quickly become emotional crutches.

One of the most popular AI chatbot apps available today is Replika. It’s marketed as a personal companion that learns from you and talks with you about anything—from school stress to existential questions. When you search for the app online, the first phrase you’ll see is: “An AI chatbot who cares.” This is exactly the kind of messaging that appeals to young people. It mimics the promise of emotional support, yet behind the scenes, it is powered by language models trained on generic internet data. There are no human values, no ethical guardrails, and no understanding of child psychology. What looks like a friend is just a string of algorithms doing pattern recognition—and children may not be equipped to tell the difference.

Children aren’t just turning to chatbots for companionship — they’re using them as problem solvers. That, in my view, is part of the reason we’re beginning to see studies linking prolonged AI use to signs of brain atrophy. Growing up means going through hard things, and learning to handle them on your own. There’s even a popular trend on TikTok right now: you vs. you. It’s about building resilience through struggle, not bypassing it.

If we don’t let ourselves wrestle with emotions, we’re doing our development a disservice. Leaning on an algorithm for advice about your first breakup might feel comforting, but it short-circuits the brain’s natural learning process. As one article in EdSurge put it, “if we are not struggling, we are not learning.” When kids make a habit of turning to AI bots for emotional support, it becomes a harmful coping mechanism — one that masks difficult feelings instead of helping them work through them.

Sure, the bot might offer an answer. But it’s not the kind of growth we want for our kids. The more they offload their problems to a machine, the less they learn to process real-life conflict — and the more disconnected they become from their own instincts. We need to teach children to live their lives, not hand that responsibility over to a bot.

Recent studies raise deeper concerns. A groundbreaking MIT and Mass General Hospital study found signs of brain atrophy in children who engage with AI or highly stimulating digital platforms for extended periods. While researchers are still exploring how and why these changes occur, the early signals are disturbing: AI interaction may not just confuse kids emotionally—it may harm them neurologically.

AI chatbots are becoming an increasingly common part of children’s lives. While the technology can seem magical and helpful, it is not a substitute for real human connection or the natural struggle that drives learning and growth. As parents, caregivers, and educators, it’s our responsibility to stay informed, monitor how our children use AI, and encourage healthy boundaries. Let’s guide our kids to develop resilience, critical thinking, and emotional strength — not to outsource these essential parts of growing up to algorithms.

 What Parents Can Do

  1. Teach kids the difference between real support and artificial responses.
     Let your child know that AI chatbots like Replika may seem friendly, but they don’t understand feelings, and they can’t offer real help. Make sure your child knows it’s always better to talk to a trusted adult or friend.
  2. Limit access to chatbot apps.
     Check which apps your child is using. Many of these AI companions don’t have age checks or content filters. Set rules around what kinds of apps are allowed, and use parental controls when possible to block or monitor risky ones.
  3. Encourage real-life coping skills.
     When your child is upset or struggling, guide them through it instead of letting a screen do it. Talk it out, offer reassurance, and help them learn how to handle tough emotions — these moments build confidence and resilience.
  4. Create tech-free zones and check-ins. Make spaces like bedrooms and family dinners phone-free. Set regular times to talk about what your child is doing online, and keep the conversation open, not judgmental.
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