In addition to the above, explain how Dewey would respond to critics who argue that any problems resulting from social media use are the fault of the users alone, and not the platforms themselves, current regulatory standards, or broader social pressures.

Word Limit: 500-600

Prompt:

Basic:

The average age at which a child opens a social media account is twelve and a half years old. Although consensus has not yet been established, growing research has found correlations between social media use and anxiety, depression, and self-harm among teens, with these harms effecting girls far more dramatically than boys. Recently leaked internal documents known as the Facebook Files reveal that Facebook (now Meta) was aware of this problem, particularly with its subsidiary platform, Instagram, yet has not taken meaningful steps to address it. Although some studies have suggested social media not only may not be harmful but may even offer benefits to teens, overall the data point to the likelihood that this is a moral crisis in the making. In a well structured 500-600 word essay, develop an argument for how we might respond to the concern that social media is harming teens mental health by applying Deweys interactionist and experimentalist moral philosophy.

Advanced: In addition to the above, explain how Dewey would respond to critics who argue that any problems resulting from social media use are the fault of the users alone, and not the platforms themselves, current regulatory standards, or broader social pressures.

Support your argument with careful reasoning and evidence from the primary text. Use of all secondary sources is prohibited.

All sources, references, and borrowed ideas must be properly cited. If you are using the electronic copy of the text provided in the course materials you may cite by simply identifying the relevant page number of the text (NOT the pdf file page) in parentheses at the end of the sentence before the period.

If you are using any other edition of the text, you must cite using MLA format (keep in mind there are specific guidelines for electronic sources and translated sources). Do not rely on citation managers; these often present references incorrectly; you are responsible for making sure your citations and references are properly formatted.

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