SURGEON GENERAL WARNS AGAINST SOCIAL MEDIA

The United States Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has released a 25-page advisory on the impact of social media on the mental health of children and adolescents. The document calls for increased awareness of how social media affects youth and creates recommendations for what can be done to protect their mental health.

The advisory issued on May 23 begins by acknowledging that social media can have both positive and negative effects on youth. Potential benefits of social media include its capability to “create a space for self-expression” and enable social connections. Some studies suggest that social media can support the mental health of minorities by allowing for “peer connection, identity development and management, and social support.” Research also indicates that social media can help youth by making mental health resources more accessible and encouraging people to seek mental health care.

However, the negative effects of social media are also apparent.

Studies indicate that there is a strong correlation between time spent on social media and symptoms of depression and anxiety. One reports the advent of social media “may have contributed to more than 300,000 new cases of depression.”

Additionally, there are numerous concerns regarding the content children and adolescents may be exposed to. The advisory cites cases of childhood deaths related to exposure to self-harm-related content or “risk-taking challenges” on social media. According to The Verge, one TikTok challenge, the “blackout challenge,” allegedly killed at least seven children below the age of 15.

Excessive social media use has also been linked to problems with sleep, attention-keeping, and feelings of isolation in adolescents. This fact can be especially problematic because sleep is essential for healthy development. The advisory explains that there is a correlation between poor sleep for adolescents and “depressive symptoms … and suicidal thoughts and behaviors.”

What can be done? Vivek’s advisory provides several recommendations for how parents and caregivers can protect youths from harmful effects of social media.

First, adults are encouraged to create limits or expectations for when technology should be used. To mitigate potential sleep issues, parents and caregivers should consider limiting technology usage past “at least 1 hour before bedtime and through the night.” They should consider keeping in-person gatherings, such as meals or family gatherings, technology-free. Doing so would encourage children to interact with others rather than spend all their time staring at their phones.

Parents are also encouraged to talk with their children about the risks of social media and internet safety. Letting youngsters know the risks of social media, such as those mentioned here, can empower them to make healthy decisions regarding their technology use.

Adults also should support their children through any cyberbullying or online harassment they may face. They should teach them to not share any personal information or images online and let them know about their reporting options against online harassment. The advisory highlights CyberTipline (found at missingkids.org) as a place to report any instances of the online exploitation of children.

Not all recommendations for parents and caregivers made by the advisory were discussed here. The complete Surgeon General’s advisory on social media and youth mental health can be found here: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf