title
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RECOGNIZING SOCIAL MEDIA SAFETY DAY IN COOK COUNTY
WHEREAS, social media can be a force for the greater public good, providing a means for beneficial entertainment, education, socialization, and advocacy; and
WHEREAS, social media has also demonstrably caused significant and widespread harm to the public, especially children; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a warning on May 23, 2023, stating that "there are increasing concerns among researchers, parents and caregivers, young people, healthcare experts, and others about the impact of social media on youth mental health" with such concerns including anxiety, eating disorders, depression, and suicide; and
WHEREAS, social media is additionally used to facilitate cyberbullying, privacy invasion, fraud, human trafficking, sexual harassment, sexual predation, hate, and misinformation; and
WHEREAS, social media platforms are routinely used to facilitate the sale of illegal narcotics which has resulted in multiple deaths nationwide, and
WHEREAS, other segments of society such as domestic violence survivors are also at increased risk of social media-related harms; and
WHEREAS, a University of Chicago Crime Law Report noted that teachers and school administrators report that a large share of in-school conflicts originate in social media disputes; and
WHEREAS, studies have found that hate groups, terrorist organizations both domestic and foreign, left- and right-wing extremists, and street gangs are using social media platforms to recruit new members, threaten and harass individuals, incite violence, and post violent videos; and
WHEREAS, studies have further found that such groups further utilize social media as a way to communicate about and organize their activities including flash mobs and organized retail thefts which are significantly and adversely impacting businesses and communities throughout Cook County and across the country, and
WHEREAS, a comprehensive approac...
Click here for full text