YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, also named TIME’s CEO of the year, is one of many techie bosses who advocate limited use of social media. As the harms of such platforms on young minds become more evident by the day, Mohan shared his rationale behind the restriction with TIME Magazine. He stated he ensured that his children had limited access to media platforms at this age. Their use is controlled and restricted.
This also comes amid a countrywide ban on social media for teens in the island continent of Australia. This put an end to a year-long debate, cementing the position of the Australian government on the matter. It was seen as a breeding ground for cyberbullying, harmful content generation, and online predatory practices.
In fact, as per a previous report by Financial Express Online, short-form videos were found to hurt cognition, memory, and attention spans. The social media mandate was one such move in the global move against Internet crimes.
Why does Neal Mohan limit the use of social media for his kids?
The YouTube CEO has three children, two sons and a daughter. He revealed that ‘everything in moderation’ works. Giving an analogy, he shared, “We do limit their time on YouTube and other platforms and other forms of media. On weekdays, we tend to be more strict; on weekends, we tend to be less so. We’re not perfect by any stretch.”
According to Jonathan Haidt, a professor at NYU, smartphone and social media use can have a detrimental impact on children. Author of ‘The Anxious Generation’, Haidt even advised that children below the age of 14 should not own a smartphone. Whereas, those below 16 – no access to social media, as quoted in a CNBC report. Previously, they told the media house, “Let them have a flip phone, but remember, a smartphone isn’t really a phone. They could make phone calls on it, but it’s a multi-purpose device by which the world can get to your children.”
As per Mohan, he feels a ‘paramount responsibility’ towards young people and their parents, by giving more control over how they use YouTube. There are several safety features present on the platform, given that a large number of young children are exposed to YouTube earlier than other networking sites.
Other tech bosses on the list
Graham Dugoni, the founder of Yondr, himself feels that ‘social media is lame’. Yondr makes magnetic phone pouches which encourage users to cut down on screen time voluntarily. It came as a solution to a larger ban on smartphones in schools and other institutions. In fact, Twilio CEO Khozema Shipchandeler, a Gen X boss who starts every morning at 4:30 AM, practices a complete abstinence from social media. Terming it as a ‘distraction,’ he has implemented an intentional ban for himself.
