Точка Синхронізації

The Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, released a comprehensive report on October 23, 2024, revealing that teenagers across the country are being systematically targeted by online advertisements for harmful products. The study, titled "A Healthy Influence," highlights an alarming trend where minors are frequently exposed to digital marketing for weight-loss drugs, anabolic steroids, and skin-whitening creams. According to the findings, these promotions are being delivered via social media algorithms and influencer content, raising urgent concerns about the psychological and physical well-being of young internet users in the United Kingdom. The research indicates that the digital landscape has become a minefield for children, who are often ill-equipped to distinguish between organic content and paid advertisements for unregulated health products. Many of these items, such as steroids or experimental slimming pills, carry significant health risks and remain largely unregulated in the context of minor-focused advertising. The report specifically points to the role of influencers who project unrealistic body standards, which in turn fuels the demand for the very products being advertised to this vulnerable demographic. Furthermore, the Children’s Commissioner is calling for immediate government intervention and stricter enforcement of the Online Safety Act to protect children from such predatory marketing practices. The study found that even when children were not actively searching for these products, the algorithms on popular platforms would push the content into their feeds based on previous interests or perceived insecurities. This "bombardment" is seen by experts as a primary driver of body dysmorphia and a dangerous normalization of pharmaceutical substance use among the youth. In response to these findings, health advocates and parental rights groups are demanding that tech giants take greater responsibility for the content they host. The report emphasizes that without more robust age-verification processes and transparent advertising disclosures, English teenagers will continue to be exposed to chemicals and lifestyle products that could have long-lasting detrimental effects on their development. The UK government is now under pressure to review how digital platforms monetize health-related content that reaches under-18s.