The aim of the Lève Les Yeux workshops is to help young people understand just how much excessive screen time – which is constantly on the rise – is damaging their health, their ability to concentrate and, more broadly, their social connections.
These issues, which are now well documented, are becoming increasingly recognised by the public and politicians alike, as evidenced by recent legislative initiatives aimed at better regulating the use of social media and smartphones by minors.
During the workshops organised in Nice throughout the school year, the team at Lève Les Yeux asked young people about these measures. The reactions, overwhelmingly negative, were well-founded:
– They belong to a generation born with screens
– The law/reform prohibits but does not provide an alternative solution
– Today, for them, being part of society – that is to say, social connection – happens through screens
– Indeed, screens even help to resolve social problems that cannot be resolved in any other way…
As the discussion progressed, the speakers managed to make them understand that social media deliberately exploits the weaknesses of the human brain: it relies on mechanisms designed to capture and hold attention by exploiting certain cognitive vulnerabilities.
The issue of social media affects everyone, but certain sections of the population are more vulnerable than others. For example, screen time is 1.5 to 2 times higher in working-class communities.
From an educational perspective, the consequences are a cause for concern. Concentration works like a muscle; the less you exercise it, the weaker it becomes. Consequently, social media – and in particular its fragmented content, known as ‘snack content’ – poses a threat to young people’s attention span and their ability to think deeply.
That is why the work of associations such as Lève les Yeux is essential. The task is challenging but necessary, and the Jacques Martel Foundation was delighted to continue its commitment to supporting the association for the second year running.