Café Inquiry (Grand Rapids) – Social Media Use by Kids

Location – Fountain Street Church – 2nd Floor Choir Room

Café Inquiry starts with a short introduction of the day’s topic, followed by casual discussion.

The Netflix miniseries “Adolescence” explores the effects of social media use on teens. Worldwide there is growing concern about these negative effects. The U.S. Surgeon General has said that social media is contributing to a mental health crisis in this group and has called for warning labels on social media platforms. A WHO report last year also expressed urgent concern about the rise in problematic social media use by youth. At the next Cafe Inquiry (live), we will discuss what is known about these negative effects and examine some of the solutions that have been proposed. Here are a few suggestions for exploring this topic beforehand. If you have the time and inclination, watch the intense 4 episode Netflix series “Adolescence” mentioned above. Social media use plays a role in the show. This brief article from AP News talks about the previous Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s call for warning labels on social media. Here is a 6 minute recording (and transcript) of an interview with Vivek Murthy on “All Things Considered”. This short article talks about the World Health Organization’s concerns about social media use among adolescents. This article from Yale Medicine has information and suggestions for parents. This audio clip and article from NPR discusses exposure to pornography from the internet and social media. Finally, this longer 2020 article from the Canadian Medical Journal discusses some of the research on social media effects on kids. Hope to see you there!

This event is free and open to the public. Donations appreciated, but not expected.

Attendees are able to future propose topics which would align with Michigan Humanist’s purpose: from atheism, agnosticism, humanism, secularism, and freethinking to broader subjects in science and humanities, such as religion, philosophy, social issues, politics, evolution, morality, ethics, and psychology.

To access the choir room enter the building via the Fountain Street entrance. (There may be scaffolding in place due to construction, but you can walk under it). Take the elevator or stairs to the second floor, and follow the Michigan Humanist signs. Or ask directions from someone. The choir room is located on the left at the south end of the west hallway.

Parking information – Street parking, if you can find it, is free on Sunday. The nearby GRCC Parking structure is free until 3 PM on Sunday, although this is not advertised. You will need to take a ticket to enter the structure but the exit gate will be open if you leave before 3 PM. Parking is also available free for up to 2 hours in the Public Library lot for patrons. You will need to have your ticket validated in the library. If walking for any distance is a problem for you, please contact us and we’ll see what can be arranged.

Café Inquiry (Grand Rapids) meets each month IN PERSON on the second Sunday and ONLINE on the fourth Sunday.

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Michigan Humanists values the participation of all guests — requests for reasonable accommodation may be made by contacting the event host at least three days prior to the event.

Michigan Humanists expects all guests to engage in respectful discussion. Please visit the Michigan Humanist Culture and Expectations page for more information. Speak to the event host or contact info@michiganhumanists.org if you feel these expectations are being violated.

Events are made possible by your financial support. Michigan Humanists is a 501(c)3 non-profit. All donations are tax-deductible as provided by law. Donations to Michigan Humanists can be made at https://www.michiganhumanists.org/donate/