Social Media in the Global South Needs More Protections By Oritro Karim Copyright © 2025 IPS-Inter Press Service.

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 20 2025 (IPS) - In the western world, numerous studies over the past two decades have shown that the rise of social media in popularity has been linked to negative mental health symptoms, especially among young people. Platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), and TikTok have been criticized for fostering competitive and toxic environments, which contribute to higher rates of anxiety, cyber-bullying, depression, disordered eating, and low self-esteem. While the use of social media in the Global South has skyrocketed in the late 2010s, the ramifications on people in those regions has received much less coverage in mainstream media. https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/02/social-media-global-south-needs-protections/ Copyright © 2025 IPS-Inter Press Service.