Surgeon General Warns Social Media May Harm Youth
Last May, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health. The report states that, while social media may offer some benefits, there are strong indicators it is harmful to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.
Adolescence and childhood represent critical stages in brain development that can make young people more vulnerable to harms from social media. Studies show that social media use by young people, aged 13 to 17, is nearly universal. Up to 95% report using a social media platform, and more than a third describe using social media almost constantly.
The surgeon general is urging policymakers, technology companies, researchers, families and young people alike to take immediate action. This includes taking responsibility for gaining a better understanding of the full impact of social media use, helping to maximize the benefits and minimize the harms of social media platforms, and creating a safer and healthier online environment to protect children. Dr. Murthy said in a statement:
“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. 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.”
Social media use can become harmful depending on the amount of time children spend on the platforms, the type of content they consume or are exposed to, and the degree to which it disrupts activities that are essential for health (such as sleep and physical activity).
Different children are affected by social media in different ways based on a variety of factors, such as cultural, historical and socio-economic background. Among the benefits, adolescents report social media helps them feel more accepted (58%) and connected to what is happening in their friends’ lives (80%). The also say social media makes them feel like they have people to support them through tough times (67%) and they have a place to show their creative side (71%).
However, social media use can be excessive and problematic for some children. Recent research shows that adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social media face double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, such as symptoms of depression and anxiety. On average, teenagers spend an average of 3.5 hours a day on social media.
Social media may also perpetuate body dissatisfaction, disordered eating behaviors, social comparison and low self-esteem, especially among adolescent girls. One-third or more of girls aged 11 to 15 say they feel “addicted” to certain social media platforms, and over half of teenagers report it would be hard to give up social media.
When asked about the impact of social media on their body image, 46% of adolescents aged 13-17 said social media makes them feel worse, 40% said it makes them feel neither better nor worse, and only 14% said it makes them feel better. Additionally, 64% of adolescents are “often” or “sometimes” exposed to hate-based content through social media.
While more research is needed to determine the full impact social media use has on nearly every teenager across the country, it presents an urgent health issue for children and adolescents today. The surgeon general’s advisory offers recommendations stakeholders can take to help ensure children and their families have the information and tools necessary to make social media safer for children:
Policymakers can take steps to strengthen safety standards and limit access in ways that make social media safer for children of all ages, better protect children’s privacy, support digital and media literacy, and fund additional research.
Technology companies can better and more transparently assess the impact of their products on children, share data with independent researchers to increase our collective understanding of the impacts, make design and development decisions that prioritize safety and health (including protecting children’s privacy and better adhering to age minimums), and improve systems to provide effective and timely responses to complaints.
Parents and caregivers can make plans in their households such as establishing tech-free zones that better foster in-person relationships, teach kids about responsible online behavior and model that behavior, and report problematic content and activity.
Children and adolescents can adopt healthy practices like limiting time on platforms, blocking unwanted content, being careful about sharing personal information, and reaching out if they or a friend need help or see harassment or abuse on the platforms.
Researchers can further prioritize social media and youth mental health research that can support the establishment of standards and evaluation of best practices to support children’s health.
For a copy of the complete surgeon general’s advisory, click here.
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