US Surgeon General: Social Media May Harm Kids

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Facts

  • US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Tuesday released a report warning that social media can have a “profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children.”1
  • Murthy called on legislators, Big Tech, researchers, and parents to adopt safeguards that could reduce the potential risks to children and adolescents that are outlined in the 19-page report.2
  • Murthy also described the current situation as a “youth mental health crisis” to which social media has contributed despite it also having positive effects on young people. He conceded that more has to be learned before deeming whether social media is “safe” for adolescents.3
  • In the report, 95% of teenagers (aged 13-17) said they use social media, with more than a third saying they use it “almost constantly.” Almost a third of adolescents reported using screens as late as midnight and beyond, typically using social media at that time.4
  • The surgeon general also provided some tips for parents and young people to better navigate social media. Among the tips were to create boundaries for usage time, call out harassment or bullying, and be cautious about what content is shared online.5

Sources: 1Al Jazeera, 2New York Times, 3ABC News, 4NPR Online News, and 5Time.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Gizmodo. While the data is still being collected, there’s no doubt that frequent social media use by kids aged 10-19 creates distinct changes in their developing brains that can affect them moving forward. Social media is particularly harmful because not only does it alter their perception of reality, but it is also extremely addictive. It’s crucial that everyone come together to create a menu of regulations for protecting kids.
  • Narrative B, as provided by CNN. Authorities must be careful not to overreach in protecting kids from the harms of social media, or they’ll miss out on the many benefits, which include support for youth that are part of marginalized groups. There have already been attempts by governments and tech companies to make social media safer, but this shouldn't be used to dismiss it as harmful as a whole.