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Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, a longtime advocate of mental health awareness, has issued a warning that social media use is a major contributor to depression, anxiety and other problems among the nation’s teenagers.
The report, released Tuesday, draws attention to growing concerns about the impact of social media use on the mental health of children and adolescents. The advisory calls on policymakers and companies that create social media platforms to share with parents the burden of managing children’s and teens’ social media use.
Murthy called youth mental health “the defining public health issue of our time,” urging policymakers to help ensure strong safety standards to protect teens from harmful content and overuse.
According to reports, up to 95% of teens between the ages of 13 and 17 say they use a social media platform. About a third say they “almost constantly” scroll, post or otherwise engage with social media.
“Right now, we don’t have enough evidence to say with confidence that social media is safe enough for our kids,” Murthy said in an interview. “We need to take steps now to ensure our kids are safe.”
The report combines research that links social media use and poor mental health among teens, such as a 2019 study that found teens who spent more than three hours a day on social media “doubled the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, including symptoms are faced with. depression and anxiety.”
As of last year, eighth and 10th graders who were surveyed said they spent more time per day on these platforms: an average of three hours and 30 minutes.
Jim Steyer, founder of Common Sense Media, an organization advocating for laws and policies to make media more child-friendly, said the advice was “absolutely spot on” and “should be a clarion call to every parent, every policymaker in this country, that we have this Efforts must be focused and resourced.”
According to the Pew Research Center, the most popular social media platforms among teenagers are TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.
The surgeon general’s warning about social media comes as rates of teenage depression, grief and depression have skyrocketed over the past decade, especially among girls.
“Adolescent depression began to rise around 2012, a time when coincides with the popularity of smartphones.” X, Boomers, and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future.”
It was also a time, Twenge said, that “likes on posts became commonplace, and algorithms began to become more sophisticated to keep people on social media longer. It’s clearly not a coincidence.”
The Surgeon General’s report blames social media for eating disorders, body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem. Some evidence also suggests a possible link between excessive social media use and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adolescents.
Social media can affect mental health in several ways, Twenge said. Both sleep and face-to-face social interaction are beneficial for mental health, she said, but it’s a problem if kids are online when they should be in bed or spending time with friends.
Feeling left out and comparing yourself to others can also be harmful.
“Even if you know on an intellectual level that they took 200 selfies to get the right one,” Twenge says, “on an emotional level, it’s not really processed.”
What can be done?
The surgeon general’s report outlines recommendations for both technology companies and lawmakers.
“Policymakers need to step up and ensure that we have strong safety standards, to help protect our children from exposure to harmful content and to protect them from overuse,” Murthy said. This includes enforcing a minimum age.
Companies are advised to develop better tools to protect teenagers and relax features that entice kids to stay online longer.
Parents are now on the front lines of trying to help teens navigate the online world The report encourages caregivers to create “technology-free” zones at home and talk to children about how social media use makes them feel.
“Putting the onus on parents alone isn’t really fair. Why isn’t the industry held responsible for making platforms and features more addictive?” Steyer Dr. Common Sense Media. “There will be a major national discussion.”
How old should children be before using social media?
Most technology companies require users to be at least 13 years old. But about 40% of children between the ages of 8 and 12 use social media, the report said.
Murthy said he believes 13 is too young for social media but said there isn’t enough data to suggest what age would be appropriate.
Twenge suggested that the minimum age should be set at 16.
“Let’s make some rules now to help kids who aren’t on social media yet,” Twenge said. “Maybe we can save the next generation.”
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