Signal New York City designates social media a public health hazard

Summary

This signal is New York City's declaration that social media is a public health threat. The city cites its impact on young people's mental health as the reason. Sitra cites a Washington Post report from January 2024 on the designation. A label usually reserved for physical dangers is applied to a digital environment. It shows authorities starting to treat heavy connectivity as a collective health risk rather than a private habit. Sitra lists it among signals behind an imagined 2046 magazine column in which digital peace becomes a key selling point of tourism.