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<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/04/1149021?utm_source=UN+News+-+Newsletter&utm_campaign=7f3831fb0e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_04_25_08_23&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fdbf1af606-7f3831fb0e-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D" id="OWA6be659f7-5954-0176-7bcd-85aa0669d407" class="OWAAutoLink" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: blue; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">UNESCO
report spotlights harmful effects of social media on young girls | UN News</a></u></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 14pt;"><b>UNESCO Report Spotlights Harmful Effects of Social Media on Young Girls</b></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img alt="Students attend a computer class at a secondary school in Kailali, Nepal." id="x_Picture_x0020_2" width="1170" height="529" style="width: 12.1875in; height: 5.5208in; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" data-outlook-trace="F:1|T:1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01DA973E.B2C62EB0"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;"><b>© ADB/Narendra Shrestha </b></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Students attend a computer class at a secondary school in Kailali, Nepal.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 1pt; color: white; background-color: rgb(59, 89, 152);"><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/04/1149021" id="OWA00c99cbe-47ae-72e3-d6a9-531f6f68ad90" class="OWAAutoLink" title="Share this via Facebook" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: white; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Facebook</a></u></span><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 1pt; color: white; background-color: rgb(0, 153, 210);"><u><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=UNESCO%20report%20spotlights%20harmful%20effects%20of%20social%20media%20on%20young%20girls&url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/04/1149021" id="OWAee40fa07-146c-d127-ddd6-955b4c3e8017" class="OWAAutoLink" title="Share this via Twitter" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: white; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Twitter</a></u></span><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 1pt; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><u><a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/04/1149021?utm_source=UN+News+-+Newsletter&utm_campaign=7f3831fb0e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_04_25_08_23&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fdbf1af606-7f3831fb0e-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D" id="OWA014b2635-da76-afba-dda5-57c69762e7e8" class="OWAAutoLink" title="Share this via Print" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Print</a></u></span><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 1pt; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><u><a href="mailto:?subject=UNESCO%20report%20spotlights%20harmful%20effects%20of%20social%20media%20on%20young%20girls&body=https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/04/1149021" id="OWA5d8a5646-4a9f-77de-bd2c-ecc03a27d1af" class="OWAAutoLink" title="Share this via Email" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Email</a></u></span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(77, 77, 77);"><b>25 April 2024</b></span><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> -
</span><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(77, 77, 77);"><b>Digital technologies and algorithm-driven software - especially social media - present high risks of privacy invasion, cyberbullying and distraction from learning to young
girls, according to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) latest Global Education Monitor (GEM) report
</b></span><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: blue;"><b><u><a href="https://www.unesco.org/gem-report/en/2024genderreport" id="OWAca383210-c84f-2f01-8f0c-d4702d6b6813" class="OWAAutoLink" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: blue; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">released
on Thursday</a></u></b></span><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(77, 77, 77);"><b>.</b></span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(77, 77, 77);"><b> </b></span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">In an interview with
<i>UN News</i>, Senior Policy Analyst from the GEM report team Anna D’addio said the report examines the issue of technology in education through a gender lens.</span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">She said the report highlights progress in the reversal of discrimination against girls over the past two decades but also exposes the negative impact of technology on girls' education
opportunities and outcomes.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 18pt; color: rgb(27, 117, 187);"><b>Harassment online</b></span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">“<b>Girls on social media are much more exposed to different forms of harassment.</b> Cyber cyberbullying is much more frequent among girls than among boys,” Ms. D’Addio said.</span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">“It's something that affects their well-being, and their well-being is important for learning”, she added.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 18pt; color: rgb(27, 117, 187);"><b>Guterres stresses internet access</b></span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">The report coincides with the UN telecoms agency (</span><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: blue;"><u><a href="https://www.itu.int/en/Pages/default.aspx" id="OWA17e83e01-af48-df8d-e0d8-7801e912ed44" class="OWAAutoLink" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: blue; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">ITU</a></u></span><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">)
led </span><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: blue;"><u><a href="https://www.itu.int/women-and-girls/girls-in-ict/" id="OWAfb8f8f90-5cce-3597-ad93-a99c1be83162" class="OWAAutoLink" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: blue; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">International
Girls in ICT Day</a></u></span><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">. </span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">In a post on his Twitter account, the Secretary-General called for more equipment and support for girls in the Information and Communication Technology field, pointing out that fewer
women than men have access to the internet – and that stands in their way of getting an equal opportunity for work. </span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 18pt; color: rgb(27, 117, 187);"><b>Mental health, body disorders</b></span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Based on the report’s findings, social media exposes young girls to a range of unsuitable video material including sexual content - and the promotion of unhealthy and unrealistic body
standards that negatively affect mental health and wellbeing.</span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">It was reported that adolescent girls are twice as likely to feel lonely than boys and suffer from an eating disorder.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">“<b>There is increasing evidence that shows that increased exposure to social media is related to mental health problems, eating disorders and many other issues</b> that condition and
distract social media users, and particularly girls, from education which affects their academic achievement,” Ms. D’Addio said.</span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Instagram has reportedly accounted for 32 per cent of teenage girls' feeling worse about their bodies after consuming the platform’s content, according to a Facebook statistic cited
in the report.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">The Senior Policy Analyst said social media usage can have positive effects on young girls, especially when used to increase knowledge and raise awareness on social issues.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">“I think what is important is…to teach how to use social media and technology,” Ms. D’Addio said.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 18pt; color: rgb(27, 117, 187);"><b>Girls in STEM</b></span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">She said the report calls attention to the fact that girls are at a disadvantage in accessing science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM) careers which shows a lack of
diversity in the production and development of cutting edge tech.</span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Data from the
</span><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: blue;"><u><a href="https://en.unesco.org/" id="OWA9177c474-c324-1fe4-2514-8f8b0adfdef8" class="OWAAutoLink" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: blue; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">UNESCO</a></u></span><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> Institute
for Statistics (IUS) showed that women only make up 35 per cent of tertiary education STEM graduates globally, and only hold 25 per cent of science, engineering and information and communication technology (ICT) jobs.</span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">“There are still too few girls and women that choose…the STEM subjects and work there,” the Senior Policy Analyst said.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">She said having more diversity will allow stronger contributions to science and developments without bias.</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Roboto Condensed"; font-size: 18pt; color: rgb(27, 117, 187);"><b>How does it get better?</b></span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">The report’s results reveal the need for a greater investment in education and smarter regulation of digital platforms.</span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; margin: 0in; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
<span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Ms. D’Addio said UNESCO is constantly working on remedying the exclusion of girls' access and attainment to education that remains by advocating for policies that make the education
system more inclusive, and “<b>promoting laws and regulations that guarantee equal access to education for girls and protect them from discrimination.</b>”</span></p>
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