The impact of social media on legal awareness and safety of minors (criminal-law and criminological aspects)

The article examines the criminogenic influence of social networks on minors, as well as the factors and conditions associated with social networks. The negative impact of social networks on minors, their dependence on the Internet, the absence of supervision by adults, and the lack of engagement in constructive activities – all of these pose a “danger” to minors. This danger manifests as a threat to their legal consciousness and safety. It is therefore important to reduce the dependence of minors on social networks. As is well known, Internet addiction sometimes leads to serious consequences: participation in bullying, cybercrime, destructive effects on mental health, attempts at manipulation, and being driven to suicide. In Kazakhstan, in 2023, 15 percent of schoolchildren encountered online bullying, which, according to psychologists, exacerbates mental health problems. In Kazakhstan, according to a 2023 study by the National Centre for Public Health, approximately eight percent of adolescents show signs of Internet addiction, and 10 percent show signs of addiction to computer games. It is known that measures aimed at the legal regulation of social network content are timely, but insufficient. The article also addresses this problem and proposes possible ways of combating it.

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