“We have fallen short when it comes to taking care of kids with regard to social media and safeguarding them against harms. We’ve got to close that gap.”
— Vivek Murthy, U.S. surgeon general
The U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory, the first-ever government report on social media and youth mental health. The report included data that rendered a disturbing picture.
Important findings are –
- Nearly half of adolescents said being on digital platforms made them feel worse about their bodies.
- Six out of 10 girls said they were approached by strangers on social media in ways that made them feel uncomfortable.
- Young users are exposed to bullying, harassment, extreme violence, and hate speech, which can lead to depression and anxiety.
A multi-pronged approach is needed for targetting Research, Data Sharing, Regulation, Policy Development, Education, Awareness, and Algorithmic Intervention to act on challenges of Social Media and Youth Mental Health.
Further reading –
- Murthy says social media hurting kids, time for government, tech firms to help. – The Harvard Gazette.
- Social Media and Youth Mental Health. The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory
- the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, which sets safeguards for children and teenagers online, as well as the increasing calls for tech companies to implement age-appropriate design
Chapter 12 of our book is dedicated to digital well-being. You can buy our book Building Inner Strength : A guide to mental health for teenagers (link to be active from November 1st 2023)
[…] First-ever government report on social media and youth mental healthFirst-ever government report on social media and youth mental health […]