Opinion: We’re losing children’s health to algorithms – and blaming the children
Joint opinion piece by: Liv Freyja Staunsager Larsen, Danish School Students – Ghita Parry, Danish Association of Dietitians and Nutritionists – Annegrete Juul, Centre for Childhood Health
"When you discuss how young people's health is affected by influencers and social media, you talk about advertisements for fast food, soft drinks, crisps, etc. But I see at least as many posts in my feed about how to get through an entire day on as few calories as possible."
These words came from 14-year-old Liv Freyja Staunsager Larsen during our joint debate at this summer's Folkemødet (Denmark's Democracy Festival), "Who is responsible for children's diets when influencers hold the power?"
The sheer amount of advertising for unhealthy food is a real problem, and it is important that we address it. But Liv has a point.
Who has access to young people?
The influence of social media and influencers on young people's health and well-being is not just a question of which products they are allowed to promote or how to better regulate marketing aimed at children and young people.
Liv's comment raises a broader question about who gets to shape young people's understanding of what it means to be healthy, what a healthy body looks like, and how to take care of themselves.
The question has become even more relevant following a recent report by Børns Vilkår on the extent to which children's body ideals are influenced by social media. The report concludes that the more content about bodies and appearance children see on social media, the less satisfied they are with their own bodies.
We have lost to the algorithms
Alongside Liv from Danish School Students, the panel at Folkemødet included representatives from the Danish Heart Foundation, the Danish Association of Dietitians and Nutritionists, and the Centre for Childhood Health. Together, these organisations have decades of knowledge about diet, physical activity, health and well-being. So why aren't we, or the health and nutrition professionals, the ones young people listen to when they seek information about health, diet, exercise and body ideals?
Or to put it another way: Have we, as professionals, lost to the algorithms?
The short answer is yes.
Influencers on social media operate in an attention economy where being right matters less than being heard. The best way to get noticed is to offer something new, spectacular or controversial. It's about saying something that provokes a reaction.
This is why the personal stories typically shared by influencers often win out over evidence-based knowledge. Personal experiences are more likely to stir emotions in others, and emotions drive us to react, whether by liking a post or expressing outrage. As a result, a personal story can quickly become a more convincing argument than one supported by decades of research or years of professional experience.
Being balanced is a losing game
This puts health and nutrition organisations and other professionals at a huge disadvantage. They typically provide balanced, well-documented information and health advice that may not have changed much over the years: Smoking is still unhealthy, as is eating too much sugar or spending too much time in direct sunlight.
For example, the official dietary guidelines have not changed significantly over the past few decades: Eat more wholegrains and vegetables, and less meat and fatty foods. Certain foods have been moved around or added, but broadly speaking, the advice remains the same. There is nothing particularly sensational about that. And that is why it will never get very far in the attention economy.
An uneven playing field
Perhaps we have been naive in thinking that all we needed to do was be present and communicate with children and young people on their own terms. That if we created a great campaign that spoke their language and matched their tone, they would eagerly soak up our messages like ice-cold water on a scorching summer's day.
But we are fighting an uneven battle on a playing field that unreservedly favours one team: Our goal is at the bottom of a hill, we are playing against the wind with the sun in our eyes – and we are not allowed to switch ends at half-time.
The consequence is that children and young people are exposed to far less established knowledge about what is healthy, while their body ideals are also shaped by those who want their clicks or their money.
Who protects children from harmful content?
Responsibility should be shared across a long chain: the authorities, the platforms, influencers and parents. But time and again, we place the responsibility on the weakest link – children and young people. We tell them that they are too naive and need to learn how to recognise manipulative content, and that they simply spend too much time in front of screens.
The government now intends to restrict access to social media for the youngest users and regulate the tech giants. It is long overdue, but welcome. We urge the government to involve children and young people in the process so that it does not become a battle against them.
But we still need to address the content itself. And here, we need to look further up the chain: How will the Danish authorities protect children and young people from content that harms their health? How can we force platforms to take responsibility for their content? How can we hold influencers accountable for their claims?
Ultimately, it is about ensuring that children and young people can enjoy healthy, fulfilling lives free from digital manipulation. The fact remains that it is up to adults to do their part.
So here is our message, loud and clear: LET'S GET TO WORK!
