巴黎奥运引发的思考：网络舆论/网暴/信息茧房效应,轻易带偏青少年的认知Cyberbully/Information Cocoon

The Double-Edged Sword of the Internet: Be Wary of the “Information Cocoon” Shaping Children’s Perceptions

Kids today are incredibly quick learners, but this comes with its own set of challenges. For instance, during the Paris Olympics, my daughter, who is of mixed Chinese and French heritage, nearly had her mind “reprogrammed” by watching too many videos online. Instead of feeling proud of her dual cultural background, she was bombarded with negative opinions and relentless criticism about the Paris Olympics. This flood of negativity led her to feel ashamed of being French. This isn’t just a minor issue—it’s something that we really need to pay attention to.

The Impact of the Highly Controversial Paris Olympics on Children

In my previous article, 2024 Paris Olympics: Relaxed Yet Successful, France, You Won!, I mentioned that this year’s Paris Olympics certainly provided plenty of fodder for discussion. The performance featuring French performer Philippe Katerine as the Greek god of wine, Dionysus—dubbed “The Last Supper of the Blue Fatty”—and the “Ménage à Trois” segment during the opening ceremony became hot topics across the internet. Social media and mainstream outlets continuously pushed videos and articles, dissecting these perplexing aspects over and over again, with waves of criticism flooding the internet.

One day during the Paris Olympics, my daughter suddenly said to me, “Mom, it’s terrifying—I’m embarrassed to say I’m French!” I was startled and wondered what had happened. She explained, “Everyone online is bashing the French, saying the Paris Olympics were a mess, that the opening ceremony was bizarre, and that it’s all over the internet, being harshly criticized. It’s so embarrassing…” As it turns out, video platforms had been feeding her a lot of negative content, with comments like “The opening ceremony was terrible” and “French romance has become a joke,” all of which were exaggerated to grab attention. These skewed perspectives made it seem as if the French were being “cyber-bullied,” and my daughter couldn’t help but be affected by this, leading to an unhealthy sense of self.

I tried to explain to her, “Yes, the Paris Olympics sparked a lot of debate, but did you know that many people appreciated the unique ‘French sense of relaxation’? They saw this Olympics as one big party where everyone had a great time. I’ve watched videos too, and the content I’m getting is mostly positive: things like the French aesthetic being on point, and the cultural richness of France…” But you see, a child can’t easily distinguish the true intentions behind these comments. Without a fully developed understanding, these exaggerated negative remarks had already deeply influenced her. It was then that I realized how the data-driven “recommendation” algorithms on these platforms can be a double-edged sword, especially for children.

极具话题度的巴黎奥运会可能给孩子带来的影响

我的上一篇文章2024巴黎奥运:松弛又成功,法国你赢了! The Paris Olympics: Relaxed Yet Successful提到过，这次巴黎奥运会确实给大家提供了不少吐槽的素材，像开幕式上的“三人行”表演，还有那个被戏称为“蓝胖子的最后晚餐”的环节，简直成了全网讨论的焦点。自媒体和主流媒体也是不停地推送各种视频、文章，一遍又一遍地分析这些让人看不懂的部分，吐槽声一浪接一浪，铺天盖地...

也是巴黎奥运会期间，我女儿正好去英国参加夏令营，结果也没躲过偏见的“袭击”。在夏令营里，有一个公立学校上学的女孩子跟她同一个宿舍，不晓得她是不是也被互联网舆论塑造了有偏差的认知，总是对我女儿冷嘲热讽，说：“你们这些国际学校的孩子，都是因为成绩太差才去的国际学校，根本没有能力通过高考，根本没有出路...”不仅如此，她还联合其他孩子一起孤立我女儿，让她感到非常痛苦。

那天，我女儿给我打电话的时候哭了。我一开始还觉得她不至于这么玻璃心吧，但仔细一想，处在那么远的环境里，被人孤立，还要面对这些偏见，不仅让自己产生困惑，还要强迫自己接受他人的错误认知，实在是让人难以承受。换做是我，恐怕在这个年龄也顶不住。

于是，我立马联系了夏令营的教官，反映了这个情况。教官非常耐心地处理了这个问题，并且很快就把我女儿换到了另一个宿舍， 之后，夏令营的剩余时间里，我女儿终于开心了起来。教官也去找那个女孩子了解了情况并跟她解释这个世界的多样性， 不能把自己的认知强加给别人。。

教官后来问她，为什么没有早点说出这个问题。她说当时觉得自己孤立无援，没人会站在她这边，所以不敢说出来。后来，她才发现，原来其他孩子也都被那个女孩用语言攻击过，只是大家都不敢出声。事情说开之后，其他孩子其实也都想远离那个女孩。

这件事让我明白，如果孩子遇到问题不敢沟通，他们就会把这些情绪积压在心里，因为他们不知道这些事是对还是错,是不是真的很丢脸。青春期的孩子特别容易陷入这种困境，如果我们父母过早对他们的问题下判断，他们可能就不愿意再跟我们讨论。这会导致更严重的后果，因为孩子可能会把问题越积越深。

通过这两件事，我深刻体会到：孩子们在还没建立起完整的认知体系之前，如果一直被单一的信息“灌输”，真的很容易形成偏见。这些偏见不仅仅来自于网络上的算法推送，还可能来自于生活中的人际互动。你以为孩子看个视频没什么，但其实背后有大数据在“操控”，把他们困在了信息的“茧房”里。

家长们需要多跟孩子沟通，帮助他们形成一个稳定的、正确的认知核心。要告诉他们，世界上有很多种声音，我们要学会分辨，不要被片面的信息左右。

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Discussing the Topic of LGBTQ+

Kids today are exposed to information at a very young age. Just the other day, I was surprised to learn that my daughter knows about 100 different gender identities! She calmly told me, “Mom, did you know there are so many gender identities, not just male and female?” I was both shocked and amazed by how much children are aware of in this digital age.

In today’s society, issues like DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and LGBTQ+ are heavily emphasized in an effort to demonstrate political correctness and cultural diversity. However, this constant emphasis can sometimes confuse children. They might not have even been thinking about these topics, but the overemphasis causes them to start questioning themselves: “Do I fit into the traditional gender categories? Which one do I belong to?”

This premature exploration of gender identity can lead to confusion and uncertainty. For instance, some of the girls my daughter met at summer camp seemed very introverted, yet they already had what they believed to be a clear understanding of their gender identity and even categorized themselves within the LGBTQ+ spectrum. While it’s important to recognize that these topics can’t be completely avoided, I believe that the government or public messaging should not overly stress these issues, as it could create unnecessary confusion for children who have not yet fully developed their understanding.

As a parent, I feel that if we don’t take the initiative to discuss these sensitive topics with our children, they might end up learning about them through the internet, which could lead to misunderstandings or distorted views. Rather than allowing our children to form potentially incorrect beliefs from incomplete information, it’s better for us to engage them in open conversations, discussing these topics regularly so they can develop a proper understanding.

我个人觉得，如果我们家长不提前跟孩子好好探讨这些敏感话题，可能孩子们会通过网络自行“补课”，但这些“补课”却可能是错误的，甚至是扭曲的。与其让孩子通过不完整的信息自行形成错误认知，不如我们主动出击，平时就多聊聊，多讨论，让他们有一个正确的理解。