Social Media Damages Teens Mental Health
Here’s what parents, teachers and teens can do
In June, US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, MD, called on Congress to issue a warning label for social media, similar to warning labels on alcohol and tobacco. He also called on Congress to quickly develop health and safety standards for technology platforms, including not collecting sensitive data from teens, and restricting features, like push notifications, autoplay, and infinite scroll, which contribute to excessive use of social media.
Dr. Murthy says that social media is an important contributor to the mental health crisis among young people. On average, teens spend 4.8 hours a day on social media. A 2019 study of 6,595 US teens found that those who spend more than three hours a day on social media may be at heightened risk for mental health problems, particularly for keeping their problems to themselves. In addition, 46% of teens say that social media makes them feel worse about their bodies.
How to protect teens
Here are some suggestions from Dr. Vivek and others:
For parents:
- Wait at least until middle school to…
