Istanbul Family Foundation warns of digital media impact on youth identity

Üner Karabıyık, Chairman of the Istanbul Family Foundation, has raised concerns regarding the impact of digital media on children and adolescents. He stated that increased screen time and exposure to diverse sexual orientation content on digital platforms are leading to early-age identity confusion among youth.

Karabıyık noted that social media profiles of attackers in recent school incidents in Kahramanmaraş and Siverek showed individuals attempting to exist under different identities across various platforms, which he described as a sign of an identity crisis. He characterized these influences as an organized ecosystem involving media, art, sports, and the business world that targets children's identities.

He also highlighted the role of social media algorithms in increasing screen time and referenced a 2025 statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding media as an '8th front' to influence younger generations. The Istanbul Family Foundation has previously addressed these issues at the 'Digital Whirlpool Summit' in cooperation with the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) and under the auspices of the Ministry of Family and Social Services.