(Pakistan Point News - 14th May, 2020) WASHINGTON D.C., 13th MAY, 2020 (ANI/WAM) – In a new study, researchers suggested that public health bodies should consider incentivising social media influencers to encourage adolescents to follow social distancing guidelines.
They said that peer-to-peer campaigns are likely to be more successful in changing attitudes, given the fact that adolescents are choosing to ignore the guidelines set out by governments during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an Asian news International, ANI, report on Wednesday.
"For many people, adolescence - between the ages of 10 and 24 - is when you want to be making more social connections, not losing them. It's also a time of increased risk-taking and sensitivity to peer influence," said Jack Andrews at the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, and first author of the paper.
"For some adolescents, it is a challenge to stick to social distancing rules, particularly if their friends aren't following the rules," he added.
The study was published in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences.
Breaking social distancing rules is a risk-taking behaviour, putting at risk the health of the rule-breaker and of others - in many places with legal or financial consequences.
But adolescents are particularly sensitive to the negative effects of social exclusion and may prefer to risk breaking the rules rather than lose their friends, said the researchers.
Campaigns led by adults that try to influence adolescent behaviour often have mixed success.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the widespread implementation of social distancing measures, led by governments, which are likely to be in place in some form for the near future.
However, media reports of large student gatherings in the US in March demonstrated the challenge of stopping young people from meeting their friends face-to-face.
Social distancing guidance could be more effective if adolescents are allowed to develop and deliver their own campaigns, focused on changing peer attitudes around the importance of social distancing.
The researchers said that to create positive change, adolescents must be given the capacity to lead their own ideas.
They hope that their proposals will be taken up by charities and public health bodies who can work with influencers to make sure the correct type of information is being shared.
