Context

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) recently directed the forest departments of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam to prepare a proposal to notify the Dulung Subansiri elephant corridor.

Legal Recognition for Elephant Corridors in India

• Notification of the elephant corridor: It  will involve physically marking the relevant areas used by elephants on the ground as well as potentially notifying parts of the corridor as either a wildlife sanctuary or a conservation reserve.
• Providing Legal sanctity: Including the corridor as part of a legally notified protected area will provide legal sanctity to it. 
• Importance of the Corridor: This corridor facilitates the east-west movement of elephants across the Subansiri River. 
  • The corridor, however, is fragile and requires urgent restoration efforts 
• Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972: Each state could notify the area of the corridor falling in their respective jurisdiction as conservation reserve under Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Commissioning of the Hydroelectric project: The 2000 MW Lower Subansiri hydro-project, executed by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), has been in the works since 2003 and is yet to be commissioned.
• Geographical Location: It is located in the Kamle and Dhemaji districts of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, respectively, and is being constructed on the Subansiri River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra River.
• Threat to Elephants: WII report had also pointed out that hydropeaking for power generation from the project will pose a threat of sweeping away elephants, especially calves, due to flash floods. 

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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) declared 2024’s first heatwave conditions for isolated pockets of west Rajasthan.

About Heatwave

• About: Heatwaves are prolonged periods of extreme hot weather that can harm human health, the environment, and the economy.
• Heatwaves in India: India, as a tropical country, is especially subject to heatwaves, which have become increasingly common and severe in recent years.
• Criteria for Declaring Heatwave: The basic criteria for IMD to declare a heatwave is when the temperature of a place crosses 40 degrees Celsius (°C) in the plains, 37°C in the coastal areas and 30°C in the hills. 
  • Apart from this, the temperature of a particular day has to be above normal by at least 4.5°C for two consecutive days for a heatwave to be declared.
• Humid Heatwave: The basic criteria for IMD to declare a heatwave currently does not include taking into account relative humidity, which is increasingly becoming a cause of humid heat waves. 
• • During a humid heatwave, the temperature felt by the human body or by other animals and plants is much higher. 
• Relative Humidity: This happens even when the observed temperatures are lower than the thresholds because of relative humidity, which is a measure of the moisture levels in the atmosphere. 

• Relative Humidity Calculation: The combined impact of temperature and relative humidity can be captured by calculating the wet bulb temperature or heat index of a place. This takes into account both the variables and gives the actual felt temperature.
• Wet bulb temperature: It is the lowest temperature to which air can be cooled by the evaporation of water into the air at constant pressure. 
  • And this evaporation is constantly happening from the skin through sweating, which helps humans cool down when there is excessive heat.
• Cause of Heat Stroke: If there is higher moisture in the atmosphere, this cooling down takes place at a much slower pace or stops completely. At such a point, the temperature of the human body starts increasing, leading to heat stroke and death.
• Safe Limit of Wet bulb Temperature: Internationally, the agreed upon safe limit of wet bulb temperature is below 30°C and highest limit is 35°C, above which the possibility of human death becomes almost certain. 
• Hyperthermia: Between 30°C and 35°C, the human body undergoes hyperthermia, in which the body temperature increases leading to discomfort and multiple impacts on various organs including the brain and the heart.
• Non-Inclusion of Wet bulb temperature:  The IMD  does not calculate wet bulb temperature of a place
• Prevailing of Warm Night conditions: Warm night conditions prevailed in isolated pockets over north Gujarat, Marathwada and Madhya Maharashtra subdivisions, though it has not defined what it means by ‘warm night conditions’.

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Context

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)  extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA)  in parts of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for another six months.

AFSPA: Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 

• Background: The Act in its original form was promulgated by the British in response to the Quit India movement in 1942. After Independence, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru decided to retain the Act.
• Definition of the Law: It is a 1958 law passed by the Parliament that grants the armed forces special authority and immunities in “disturbed areas” to maintain public order. 
• Applicability of Law: It is only applicable if an area has been deemed “disturbed” under Section 3 of the Act. 
• Definition of Disturbed Area:  An area can be considered to be disturbed due to differences or disputes among different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities.
• Power to declare an Area as Disturbed: The Central Government, the Governor of the State, or the Administrator of the Union Territory may declare all or part of the State or Union Territory to be a disturbed region.

Powers of Armed Forces Under AFSPA

• Power to Prevent gathering and Open fire: They have the right to prevent a gathering of five or more people in a specific area, as well as to use force or even open fire after providing adequate warning if they believe a person is breaking the law. 
• Power to Arrest without warrant: If reasonable suspicion exists, the army may arrest a person without a warrant, enter or search a location without a warrant, and prohibit the possession of firearms.
• Reporting to the nearest Police station: Any person detained or taken into custody may be turned over to the officer in charge of the nearest police station, along with a report outlining the facts behind the arrest.
• Immunity from Judicial actions: These armed forces are free from prosecution unless the Union Government authorizes the prosecuting agency.

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Context

Scientists reconstructed the history of the world’s most potent ocean circulation over the previous 5.3 million years, including how it is linked to global climate.

Key Findings of the Research

• Sea Level Rise: The current speeding of the Antarctic circumpolar current does not bode well for the stability of Antarctica’s ice sheets, which are already losing mass at an average rate of about 150 billion tonnes per year, contributing to sea-level rise.
• Role of Antarctic Circumpolar Current: Antarctic circumpolar current plays a key role in regulating global climate and is also the world’s most powerful and primary means of inter-basin exchange of heat, carbon dioxide, chemicals and biology.
• Encircling of Antarctica: Powered by continuous westerly winds, the ocean current circles Antarctica clockwise at about 4 kilometers per hour, carrying 165 million to 182 million cubic metres of water each second.
• Gaining of Wind Strength: Winds over the Southern Ocean, which encircles Antarctica, has gained strength by about 40 per cent in the last four decades.
• Speeding of Antarctic Circumpolar Current: This, in turn, has sped up the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, causing relatively warm water from higher latitudes reaching the South Pole. 
• Melting of ice shelves: In some parts, especially western Antarctica, these warm waters are melting the undersides of the ice shelves.
• Cause of loss of Ice: This loss of ice can be attributed to increased heat transport to the south
• Effect of Stronger Antarctic Circumpolar Current: A stronger Antarctic circumpolar current means more warm, deep water reaches the ice-shelf edge of Antarctica.

About Antarctic Circumpolar Current

• Direction: Antarctic Circumpolar Current is an ocean current that runs from west to east around Antarctica.

• Role of Southern ocean: The Southern Ocean is a continuous body of water with a rushing current that simultaneously isolates Antarctica’s coastal ocean and offers critical chemical fertilizers to the Antarctic ecology.
• Type of Current: The largest wind-driven current on Earth is called the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). 
  • The only current that links the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans and circumnavigates the entire earth.
• Driving Force: It is propelled by strong westerly winds and was discovered by Edmund Halley.
• Acts as a Barrier: The Antarctic Current is a vast flow of water that serves as a barrier between the Southern and Northern Oceans.
• World Circulation: Antarctica is also the source of water that moves across the deep ocean as part of the Global Ocean Conveyor (world circulation).
  • The global ocean conveyor belt is a dynamic system of deep-ocean circulation driven by temperature and salinity.
• Antarctic continental shelf: Water that flows at the ocean’s bottom is formed on the Antarctic continental shelf, particularly in the Weddell and Ross Seas. 
• High Marine production: It is the location where cold Antarctic seas meet Sub-Antarctic water, resulting in an upwelling zone (a zone of high marine production).
• Formation of  Antarctic Intermediate Water: Different weather conditions further north, at 45-55 degrees south, result in the formation of another water body known as Antarctic Intermediate Water.
  • In this area, precipitation is greater than evaporation, hence the salinity of the water is low.

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Context

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a global network of laboratories called CoViNet to identify and monitor potentially novel coronaviruses that could emerge shortly. 

About CoViNet

• CoViNet is a network of global laboratories with expertise in human, animal and environmental coronavirus surveillance.
• Thriving Network: CoViNet comprises 36 laboratories from 21 countries in all six WHO regions (Africa, Americas, South-east Asia, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean and Western Pacific), including three Indian laboratories. 
  • Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute
  • The Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology in Pune
  • The Translational Health Science and Technology Institute

COVID-19 and ‘Disease X’

• First ‘Disease X’: As per experts, COVID-19 was the first ‘Disease X’ and it may happen again.
  • Coronaviruses are a large family of RNA viruses. 
• ‘Disease X’: It is a placeholder for an unknown disease anticipated by the WHO to be of unprecedented magnitude. It is mostly likely to be a zoonotic disease with a ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus. 
  • Zoonotic diseases are infections that are spread between people and animals.
    • Disease X represents an unidentified virus that scientists warn could be 20 times more lethal than Covid-19.

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Context

India’s core sector output increased by 6.7% in February, driven by significant growth in the coal, natural gas, and cement industries.

Key Highlights of the Core Sector Output Growth

• Coal Production: In February 2024, coal production increased by 11.6%, while natural gas production rose by 11.3%.
• Cement and Steel Production: Cement production increased by 10.2%, while steel production rose by 8.4%.
• Crude oil and Electricity generation: Crude oil production increased by 7.9% in February 2024. Electricity generation increased by 6.3% during the same time period.
• Decline in Fertilizer Production: However, fertilizer production decreased by 9.5% in February 2024.
• Growth in Index of Core Industries: From April to February 2023-24, the ICI had a preliminary growth rate of 7.7%.
• Growth in Petroleum Refinery Products: In February 2024, Petroleum Refinery Products climbed by 2.6%, leading to a 3.8% overall index growth.
• Strong Industrial Performance: Overall, robust growth in these main industries implies a strong industrial performance, albeit some sectors are experiencing variations.

What is Core Sector Growth?

• About: The main or the key industries constitute the core sectors of an economy. In India, there are eight sectors that are considered the core sectors. 
• India’s Eight Core Sectors: The eight core sectors of the Indian economy are electricity, steel, refinery products, crude oil, coal, cement, natural gas and fertilizers.
• Impact of Core Sector: These sectors have a major impact on the Indian economy and significantly affect most other industries as well.
• Share of Eight Core Sectors: The eight industries have a combined share of 40.27 per cent in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), which gives the growth rates of different industry groups in a specified period.
• Published by: The Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) is prepared every month and released by the Office of the Economic Adviser (OEA), Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), and Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

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Context

Recently, A Study Published in the Lancet which flagged India’s total fertility rate (TFR) (representing the average number of children born to each woman will fall to 1.29 in 2050, significantly below the replacement threshold of 2.1.

Fertility Rate in India: Key Findings of the Lancet Study 

• Global Trends: 

  • TFR Evolution: Between 1950 and 2021, the global total fertility rate (TFR) decreased by more than half, dropping from approximately 5 children per woman in 1950 to 2.2 children in 2021.
  • Future Projection: A continued global decline, with an estimated global total fertility rate (TFR) of 1.83 by 2050 (about 76% of the countries will have TFR below replacement threshold ) and 1.59 by 2100 ( about 97% of the countries will have TFR below replacement threshold).

• Regional Shift in Live Birth towards Sub-Saharan Africa: 

  • In 1950, one-third of global live births were in Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania. Since 2011, the majority has shifted to sub-Saharan Africa, rising from 8% in 1950 to nearly 30% by 2021.
    • Chinese Example: China’s working-age population surpassed 50% in 1987, coinciding with a period of significant economic growth. However, China’s total fertility rate (TFR) has declined to a record low, leading to a contraction in the working-age population.

• Trends in India: 

  • TFR Evolution: In India, the total fertility rate (TFR) stood at 6.18 in 1950, dropped to 4.60 in 1980, and subsequently decreased to 1.91 by 2021.
  • Future Projection: 
    • By 2050, one in five people in India will be above the age of 60 in 2050, signaling a transition towards an aging population akin to the demographic challenges currently faced by China.
    • Earlier, the UN Population Fund’s (UNPF) ‘India Ageing Report’ also projected the number of elderly in India will more than double from 149 million in 2022 to 347 million by mid-century .
      • Demographic Shift: The varying TFR rates across states in India as South & Western India are graying faster than those in the North.

Reasons for Declining Fertility Rate in India 

• Impact of Healthcare Programmes: Maternal and child health initiatives such as the availability of contraceptives and increased awareness of Family Welfare Programme and successful immunization campaigns, have contributed to the assurance of child survival and to maintain smaller family sizes.
• Economic Influences: Due dynamics of inter-generational wealth transfer & increasing expenses associated with living and child-rearing could discourage couples from opting for larger families.
• Empowerment of Women: 
  • Advancements in female literacy rates and increased participation of women in the workforce have empowered women to make more informed decisions about family planning.
  • Changing Perspectives in Urban and Rural Areas: In Urban Areas, Trends of women viewing child-rearing as optional rather than obligatory & Some women are exploring alternatives like adoption. Similar trend is also emerging in rural parts of India, indicating a shift in societal norms and attitudes towards family planning.

Long Term Consequences of Declining Fertility Rate: 

• Shortage of Working Age Population: Shortage of Manpower will further hinders the nation’s growth.
• Increase of Elderly Population: Increase in the burden of economic dependency & Health care facility to them.
• Irreversal Trend: Historical data from developed nations suggests that once fertility rates drop below the replacement level, reversing the trend becomes exceedingly difficult. 
• Skewed Sex Ratio & Gender imbalance: low fertility level may deteriorate the sex ratio & Gender equality.

Way Ahead

• Maximizing Demographic Dividend: The demographic dividend is not everlasting. Insights from global experiences can guide policymakers in shaping strategies. 
  • Opportunity for India: UNPF projections indicate that India’s working-age population will peak in the late 2030s to early 2040s. 
    • Action Plan: Policymakers should prioritize measures to address skill gaps and bolster the knowledge economy. Efforts to create employment opportunities outside of agriculture, particularly in the formal sector etc.
• Preparing for Aging Population: Future policies must focus on ensuring adequate social security and healthcare provisions & Leveraging their skills for the growing elderly population will be essential. 

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Context

Recently, The Food Waste Index Report 2024 by the UN Environment Programme was released ahead of the International Day of Zero Waste (March 30).

UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024

• The Food Waste Index monitors the global and national generation of food waste and inedible parts. 
  • It focuses on waste occurring at the retail and consumer levels, including households and food services.
• This report was a joint study which was  authored by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), a U.K.-based non-profit organization. 

What is Food Waste/Loss?

• Food Waste: This term refers to food and its associated inedible parts that are removed from the human food supply chain. 
  • In simpler words, it’s the food that gets thrown away.
• Food Loss: food loss includes all the edible parts of crops and livestock that exit the production or supply chain before reaching the retail level. 
  • This includes losses occurring after harvest or slaughter.

Key Findings of Food Waste Index Report 2024

• Food Waste a Global Problem: 

  • The Food Waste Index Report 2024 shows that food waste isn’t just a problem in rich countries, as average levels of household food waste are similar across high-income, upper-middle, and lower-middle-income countries. 
    • Small Difference: Despite income differences, households waste only about 7 kilograms of food per person, on average, regardless of their wealth.
    • Regional Trends: Rural areas generally waste less food than urban areas due to better diversion of food scraps to pets, livestock, and home composting.
    • Hot Nation trend: Food wastage per capita in households is high in hotter countries due to high consumption of perishable goods with inedible parts. 
      • Lack of cold chain storage is a major reason behind this. 

• Magnitude of Food Waste: 

  • Over one billion meals were wasted daily in 2022 globally, despite 783 million people experiencing hunger and widespread food insecurity.
    • Quantification of Food Waste: In 2022, approximately 1.05 billion tonnes of food waste were generated, equating to 132 kilograms per capita and nearly one-fifth of all available food.

• Distribution of Food Waste: 

• • The majority of food waste, accounting for 60%, happened within households, while food services contributed to 28%, and retail accounted for 12%.

• Lack of Data Infrastructure: 

  • The Food Waste Index Report 2024 highlighted the issue of lack of data infrastructure for tracking and monitoring food waste, especially in low- and middle-income countries, to meet Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 of halving food waste by 2030, particularly in retail and food services.”
    • Global  Current Situation;  As of now, only four countries in the G-20 group (Australia, Japan, U.K., U.S.) along with the European Union have food waste estimates that are suitable for tracking progress towards the goals set for the year 2030.

• Environmental Impact: 

• • Food loss and waste contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss, with an estimated economic toll of $1 trillion.

• Limited Policy Integration: 

  • Only 21 countries have included measures to reduce food loss and waste into their climate plans or Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as of 2022.
    • Urgent Call for Action: The report urges governments to step up their efforts by integrating food waste reduction into their climate plans.

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Context

Recently, Florida, US, passed a law that prohibits people under 14 years old from having social media accounts, regardless of parental consent.

Karnataka High Court Proposes Social Media Age Limit

• Recently, the Karnataka High Court suggested to the Union Government that it should bring in an age limit for the use of social media. 
• In March 2023, Utah became the first US state to adopt laws regulating children’s access to social media.

Usage of Social Media by Children

• About Social Media: It refers to digital technological platforms that enable people to talk to each other, get involved, share information, and work together. 
• Statistics: As per UN, young people are the driving force of connectivity globally, with 79% of 15 to 24-year-olds online in 2023, compared with 65% for the rest of the world’s population. Around the world, a child goes online for the first time every half second.
• India’s Specific: A recent survey by LocalCircles indicates that urban Indian youngsters spend more time on the Internet. 
  • This trend has given rise to a growing addiction to electronic gadgets among children aged 9 to 18.
  • As per the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Report, more than 90% teenagers use social media. 

Exposure of Children to Social Media 

• Parental Exposure: Some children are exposed to social media by their parents, who knowingly or unknowingly get them addicted.
• Entertainment: Social media has turned into a hub for entertainment. This acts as a medium attraction for young minds.
• Boredom: In modern society, physical activities have taken a back seat and children are forced to access social media to get over their boredom.
• Easy Access to Digital Devices: Easy access to digital devices has made it easy for children to open a social media account and also use it frequently.
• COVID-19 Period: From the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic period, media devices, internet access and consulting social media rapidly increased. During “lockdown”, the Internet usage allowed communication with peers and the continuity activities such as school teaching. 

Reasons for the Increasing Use of Social Media Among Children

• Peer Influence: Children often use social media to connect with peers. The desire to fit in and be part of social circles motivates them to join popular platforms where their friends are already active.
• Entertainment and Content Consumption: Social media platforms offer a wide range of content, including videos, games, and interactive features. Children are drawn to the entertaining and engaging content available on these platforms.
• Educational Opportunities: Some social media platforms offer educational content and opportunities for learning. Children may use these platforms to access educational resources, connect with experts, and participate in online learning communities.
• Parental Influence and Permission: In many cases, children gain access to social media with the permission or encouragement of their parents. 
• Influence of Digital Culture: Growing up in a digital age, children are immersed in digital culture. The prevalence of smartphones, tablets, and other connected devices makes it easier for them to access social media, contributing to its increased use.
  • Various social media sites promote “infinite scrolling”, display reaction metrics such as likes, feature auto-play videos and have live-streaming and push notifications.

Positive Impacts of Social Media On Children

Here are a few positive impacts of social media on children;

• Critical Thinking: 

  • Social media can help children to think critically and build critical skills for the future.

• Communicate: 

  • Social media helps children to communicate with people of similar interests, helping build knowledge.

• Maintain Relation: 

  • Social media helps maintain relationships with friends and relatives who live far away.

• Develop the Art of Learning: 

  • Social media helps individuals to develop and master the art of learning new things in life.
    • The digital age and social media have created unprecedented opportunities for children and young people to communicate, learn, socialize, and play, exposing them to new ideas and more diverse sources of information.

• Transparency: 

  • Using social media to provide context and evidence fosters transparency, potentially dispelling false narratives and rumors.

• Support and Solidarity: 

• • Sharing the story on social media may garner support and solidarity from the online community, which can be emotionally uplifting.

Negative Impacts of Social Media on Children

Here are a few negative impacts of social media on children;

• Violence: 

  • Social media, with its unfiltered content, can create violent tendencies among children. Involving the child in a social media dispute may have unintended psychological consequences, potentially causing additional stress and harm.
    • Mumbai-based Association of Adolescent and Child Care in India (AACCI) surveyed schools in Mumbai and Gurgaon and found that aggression was on the rise. 

• Cyber Bullying: 

  • Young children, especially girls, are easily the victims of cyberbullying. Social media is the most probable source of such bullying.
    • According to the latest cyberbullying statistics, over the last 10 years cyberbullying has rapidly grown, particularly among school-aged young people.

• Pornography: 

  • Social media and pornography have close links. The young minds of children can get easily addicted to pornographic material, affecting their academic life.

• Illegal Betting: 

  • Social media sites host many illegal betting pages. Children can potentially get addicted to such financially dangerous activities.

• Mental Instability: 

  • Children start living in a virtual world looking at social media content. This affects their future mental peace and stability.
    • A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) revealed that teens who use social media more than three hours per day may be at heightened risk for mental health problems.

• Socialization: 

  • Social media is not a substitute for physical socialization. Excessive social media use can affect a child’s social life.

• False Information: 

  • Social media is a hub for false information. Children can be brainwashed easily through propaganda.
    • As per a study of UNICEF, only 2% of children and young people have the critical literacy skills they need to judge whether a news story is real or false.

• Impact on Health: 

• • The addiction of social media, in some instances, has manifested as impatience, aggression, concentration problems, memory issues, headaches, eye and back discomfort, stress, communication difficulties, lethargy, and even depression.
    • The sleep pattern of children is affected due to excessive use of social media.

Ways to Reduce Negative Impacts of Social Media On Children

• Parental Control: Parents must keep a watch over their children’s social media activity. Parents must win the confidence of their children and guide them.
• Digital Education: It is the responsibility of the parents, teachers as well as authorities to inculcate digital education among children, in order for them to use social media in a beneficial way.
• Regulation of Social Media: Social media companies must self-regulate their activities or the government must make them do it.
  • Freedom of opinion and expression is guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. Proper ethical standards for social media usage need to be designed but it should be dynamic too technologies and the way that technologies are used are constantly changing.
• Counseling: Professional counselors can help children overcome the habit and addiction associated with social media.
  • Example: The World Health Organization recommends no screen time for babies under 2 and no more than one hour of screen time a day for those aged 2 to 4.
• Technology Solutions: Instead of relying solely on censorship, the government and intermediaries can invest in technology solutions to tackle misinformation and fake news.
  • Example: Algorithms can be developed to identify and flag false information, and fact-checking websites can be promoted.
• Self-Regulation: Intermediaries can adopt self-regulatory measures to prevent the spread of fake news and misinformation.
  • Example: By setting up internal committees to monitor content and flag any false information and working with fact-checking websites to ensure accuracy.
• Collaborative Approach: The government, intermediaries, and civil society organizations can work together to develop a digital and social media safer environment for children and all.
  • Example: By setting up a joint task force to identify and remove false and irrelevant information and promoting media literacy among the public.
• Adopt and Enact Legal Guidelines: The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) recommended that States take strong measures, including legislation, to protect children from harmful and misleading content. 
  • Children should also be protected from all forms of violence, including child trafficking, gender-based violence, cyber-aggression, cyber-attacks and information warfare.
  • Children’s perspectives and experiences need to be considered when drafting policies that govern the use of young people’s digital use, as well as when designing the technology itself.
  • China has issued guidelines for minors who would not be allowed to use most internet services on mobile devices from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and that children between the ages of 16 and 18 would only be able to use the internet for two hours a day.

Conclusion

Like the coin, social media also has its two sides, it can be a powerful tool and on the other hand, it also poses some ethical challenges that need to be addressed by adopting appropriate measures. In the digital age, instead of banning social media access to our future generation, it would be better to ensure improved parental oversight tools, improved access to data to stop bad actors, alongside major investments in mental health systems and programs.

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