From Nature, 4 November 2026:
In 1972, sociologist and criminologist Stanley Cohen published a book called Folk Devils and Moral Panics, which explored the concept of moral panic: the idea that societies periodically fixate on a newly emerged condition, behaviour, identity or community as being a threat to the public. The fixation is characterized by ‘handwringing’ and calls to action among societal leaders; a particular pattern of media coverage; and experts breaking down the problem and offering diagnoses and solutions.
Today, concerns about the impact of digital and social media on children and adolescents are never far from the headlines, but there is growing evidence that this isn’t simply another case of moral panic. Politicians, religious leaders and others have been speaking out with increasing intensity about how social media harms young people. And a growing volume of scientific literature is exploring the nature and prevalence of those harms, and what might be done about them. Read more.
