Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy Urges Action to Ensure Social Media Environments are Healthy and Safe, as Previously-Advised National Youth Mental Health Crisis Continues
Today, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy launched a brand-new Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health. While social networks might use some advantages, there are adequate signs that social networks can likewise present a danger of damage to the psychological health and wellness of kids and teenagers. Social media usage by youths is almost universal, with as much as 95% of youths ages 13-17 reporting utilizing a social networks platform and more than a 3rd stating they utilize social networks “almost constantly.”
With teenage years and youth representing a crucial phase in brain advancement that can make youths more susceptible to damages from social networks, the Surgeon General is releasing a require immediate action by policymakers, innovation business, scientists, households, and youths alike to get a much better understanding of the complete effect of social networks usage, make the most of the advantages and decrease the damages of social networks platforms, and produce much safer, much healthier online environments to secure kids. The Surgeon General’s Advisory belongs of the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) continuous efforts to support President Joe Biden’s whole-of-government method to change psychological healthcare for all Americans.
“The most common question parents ask me is, ‘is social media safe for my kids’. The answer is that we don’t have enough evidence to say it’s safe, and in fact, there is growing evidence that social media use is associated with harm to young people’s mental health,” said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. “Children are exposed to harmful content on social media, ranging from violent and sexual content, to bullying and harassment. And for too many children, social media use is compromising their sleep and valuable in-person time with family and friends. We are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis, and I am concerned that social media is an important driver of that crisis – one that we must urgently address.”
Usage of social networks can end up being damaging depending upon the quantity of time kids invest in the platforms, the kind of material they take in or are otherwise exposed to, and the degree to which it interrupts activities that are necessary for health like sleep and exercise. Importantly, various kids are impacted by social networks in various methods, consisting of based upon cultural, historic, and socio-economic aspects. Among the advantages, teenagers report that social networks assists them feel more accepted (58%), like they have individuals who can support them through difficult times (67%), like they belong to reveal their innovative side (71%), and more linked to what’s going on in their pals’ lives (80%).
However, social networks usage can be extreme and troublesome for some kids. Recent research study reveals that teenagers who spend more than 3 hours each day on social networks deal with double the danger of experiencing poor psychological health results, such as signs of anxiety and stress and anxiety; yet one 2021 study of teens discovered that, usually, they spend 3.5 hours a day on social networks. Social media might likewise perpetuate body discontentment, disordered consuming habits, social contrast, and low self-confidence, specifically amongst teen ladies. One-3rd or more of ladies aged 11-15 state they feel “addicted” to specific social networks platforms and over half of teens report that it would be difficult to quit social networks. When inquired about the effect of social networks on their body image, 46% of teenagers aged 13-17 said social networks makes them feel even worse, 40% said it makes them feel neither much better nor even worse, and just 14% said it makes them feel much better. Additionally, 64% of teenagers are “often” or “sometimes” exposed to hate-based material through social networks. Studies have actually likewise revealed a relationship in between social networks usage and poor sleep quality, minimized sleep duration, sleep problems, and anxiety amongst youth.
While more research study is required to identify the complete effect social networks usage has on almost every teen throughout the nation, kids and teenagers don’t have the high-end of waiting years till we understand the complete level of social networks’s impacts. The Surgeon General’s Advisory uses suggestions stakeholders can require to help guarantee kids and their households have the info and tools required to make social networks much safer for kids:
- Policymakers can take actions to reinforce safety requirements and limitation gain access to in manner ins which make social networks much safer for kids of any ages, much better secure kids’s personal privacy, assistance digital and media literacy, and fund extra research study.
- Technology business can much better and more transparently evaluate the effect of their items on kids, share information with independent scientists to increase our cumulative understanding of the effects, make style and advancement choices that focus on safety and health – consisting of safeguarding kids’s personal privacy and much better sticking to age minimums – and enhance systems to supply reliable and prompt reactions to grievances.
- Parents and caretakers can make strategies in their homes such as developing tech-free zones that much better foster in-person relationships, teach kids about accountable online habits and design that habits, and report troublesome material and activity.
- Children and teenagers can adopt healthy practices like restricting time on platforms, obstructing undesirable material, bewaring about sharing personal info, and connecting if they or a friend requirement help or see harassment or abuse on the platforms.
- Researchers can even more focus on social networks and youth psychological health research study that can support the establishment of requirements and assessment of finest practices to support kids’s health.
In show with the Surgeon General’s Advisory, leaders at 6 of the country’s medical companies have actually revealed their issue on social networks’s impacts on youth psychological health:
“Social media can be a powerful tool for connection, but it can also lead to increased feelings of depression and anxiety – particularly among adolescents. Family physicians are often the first stop for parents and families concerned about the physical and emotional health of young people in their lives, and we confront the mental health crisis among youth every day. The American Academy of Family Physicians commends the Surgeon General for identifying this risk for America’s youth and joins our colleagues across the health care community in equipping young people and their families with the resources necessary to live healthy, balanced lives.” – Tochi Iroku-Malize, M.D., MILES PER HOUR, MBA, FAAFP, President, American Academy of Family Physicians
“Today’s children and teens do not know a world without digital technology, but the digital world wasn’t built with children’s healthy mental development in mind. We need an approach to help children both on and offline that meets each child where they are while also working to make the digital spaces they inhabit safer and healthier. The Surgeon General’s Advisory calls for just that approach. The American Academy of Pediatrics looks forward to working with the Surgeon General and other federal leaders on Youth Mental Health and Social Media on this important work.” – Sandy Chung, M.D., FAAP, President, American Academy of Pediatrics
“With near universal social media use by America’s young people, these apps and sites introduce profound risk and mental health harms in ways we are only now beginning to fully understand. As physicians, we see firsthand the impact of social media, particularly during adolescence – a critical period of brain development. As we grapple with the growing, but still insufficient, research and evidence in this area, we applaud the Surgeon General for issuing this important Advisory to highlight this issue and enumerate concrete steps stakeholders can take to address concerns and protect the mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents.We continue to believe in the positive benefits of social media, but we also urge safeguards and additional study of the positive and negative biological, psychological, and social effects of social media.”— Jack Resneck Jr., M.D., President, American Medical Association
“The first principle of health care is to do no harm – that’s the same standard we need to start holding social media platforms to. As the Surgeon General has pointed out throughout his tenure, we all have a role to play in addressing the youth mental health crisis that we now face as a nation. We have the responsibility to ensure social media keeps young people safe. And as this Surgeon General’s Advisory makes clear, we as physicians and healers have a responsibility to be part of the effort to do so.” – Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., CEO and Medical Director, American Psychiatric Association
“The American Psychological Association applauds the Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, affirming the use of psychological science to reach clear-eyed recommendations that will help keep our youth safe online. Psychological research shows that young people mature at different rates, with some more vulnerable than others to the content and features on many social media platforms. We support the advisory’s recommendations and pledge to work with the Surgeon General’s Office to help build the healthy digital environment that our kids need and deserve.” – Arthur Evans, Jr., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President, American Psychological Association.
“Social media use by young people is pervasive. It can help them, and all of us, live more connected lives – if, and only if, the appropriate oversight, regulation and guardrails are applied. Now is the moment for policymakers, companies and experts to come together and ensure social media is set up safety-first, to help young users grow and thrive. The Surgeon General’s Advisory about the effects of social media on youth mental health issued today lays out a roadmap for us to do so, and it’s critical that we undertake this collective effort with care and urgency to help today’s youth.” – Susan L. Polan, Ph.D., Associate Executive Director, Public Affairs and Advocacy, American Public Health Association
The National Parent Teacher Association shared the following:
“Every parent’s top priority for their child is for them to be happy, healthy and safe. We have heard from families who say they need and want information about using social media and devices. This Advisory from the Surgeon General confirms that family engagement on this topic is vital and continues to be one of the core solutions to keeping children safe online and supporting their mental health and well-being.” – Anna King, President of the National Parent Teacher Association.
In December 2021, Dr. Murthy provided a Surgeon General’s Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health calling attention to our nationwide crisis of youth psychological health and wellness. Earlier this month, he launched a Surgeon General’s Advisory on Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, where he laid out the extensive health repercussions of social disconnection and set out 6 pillars to increase connection throughout the nation, among which being the requirement to reform our digital environments. The brand-new Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health is an extension of his work to improve the psychological health and wellness of youths throughout the nation.
The complete Surgeon General’s Advisory can be checked out here.
For more info about the Office of the Surgeon General, check out www.surgeongeneral.gov/priorities.
