Effects of Social Media on Mind, Body of Children Discussed at Keio University Symposium

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:42 JST, July 2, 2025

A symposium was held at Keio University on Tuesday to discuss public health issues facing modern society, such as the mental and physical effects of social media on children.

Organized by the university’s X Dignity Center at the Mita campus in Minato Ward, Tokyo, the symposium included experts from medical, legal and other fields among its participants.

At the symposium, pediatrician Yosuke Imanishi referred to a U.S. government report that children who spend more than three hours a day on social media are more likely to suffer from depression. He stressed the importance of information literacy education.

“Children are developmentally immature and have difficulty distinguishing between right and wrong. Data suggests the more violent content children are exposed to, the more likely they are to be involved in a crime,” he said.

In countries such as Australia, there have been moves to prohibit children from using social media. However, Eijiro Mizutani, an associate professor at Keio University who specializes in media law, said, “Not allowing children to use social media at all raises problems in terms of literacy education and freedom of expression.”

“Evidence [on the effects on minors] has been building,” said Keio University Prof. Tatsuhiko Yamamoto, who is a codirector of the center. “We need to have more serious discussions on appropriate regulations in Japan.”