The Surgeon General of USDR. Vivek H. Murthy on Tuesday issued a public warning about the risks of use social media for young people. In a 19page report, Murthy noted that while the impact of social media at Teenage Mental Health Although it is not yet fully understood and that networks can be beneficial for some users, “there is clear evidence that social networks can also pose a significant risk of harm.” mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents“.
The Surgeon General urged policymakers, tech companies, researchers and families to “take urgent action” to protect teens from potential harm.
Why Attention Matters: Young brains are particularly vulnerable to social media
“Teens aren’t just smaller adults,” Murthy said of the warning in an interview with The New York Times. “You’re in a different phase of development, a fundamental phase of brain development.”
The report states that “frequent social media use may be associated with changes in the amygdala (important for learning and emotional behavior) and the prefrontal cortex (important for impulse control, emotion regulation, and moderation of social behavior) and increase sensitivity.” social rewards and punishments.
The Surgeon General urged policymakers, tech companies, researchers and families to “take urgent action” to protect teens from potential harm.
The report also cited research that indicated that up to 95% of teens said they used at least one social media platform, and more than a third said they used social media “almost constantly.” Additionally, almost 40% of 812 year olds use social media, even though the minimum age for most websites is 13.
Researchers have attempted to understand the impact of social media on adolescent mental health. The data are inconclusive and suggest that the effects can be both positive and negative. For example, social media enables some young people to connect with others, find community and express themselves.
But there is also a lot of “extreme, inappropriate and harmful content” on the networks, the statement said, even content that “normalizes” selfharm, eating disorders and other destructive behavior. O cyber bullying increases uncontrollably. And the rise in social media use has been matched by declines in exercise, sleep quality and other activities considered vital for the developing brain.
In addition, social media spaces generate stress and anxiety, particularly among young people, the statement continued: “During early adolescence, when identities and selfesteem are forming, brain development is particularly vulnerable to pressure. Social Relations, Opinions, and Peer Comparisons”.
Background: The increasing public scrutiny comes amid a psychological crisis among America’s youth
The statement joins a growing body of calls on the connection between teens and social media, with experts examining what role they may be playing in the current teen mental health crisis. This month, the American Psychological Association released its firstever guidelines on social media, recommending that families closely monitor teens’ social media use and that tech companies provide resources such as infinite scrolling and the “Like” button.
What’s Next: The Surgeon General calls for immediate action
In the statement, Murthy expressed an “urgent need” for clarity in several areas of research, including: the types of social media content that are causing harm; whether certain neurological pathways, such as those involving reward and addiction, are affected; and what strategies could be used to protect the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. “Our children have become unwitting participants in an experiment that has been going on for decades,” Murthy wrote. “It is critical that independent researchers and technology companies work together to rapidly advance our understanding of the impact of social media on children and young people.”
Murthy also acknowledged that “the burden of protecting young people has so far been overwhelmingly on children, young people and their families”.
“It requires a lot of moms and dads to take advantage of a new technology that’s advancing rapidly and is fundamentally changing the way kids perceive themselves,” and asking families to take care of everything, Murthy told The Times. “That’s why we need to do what we do in other areas where we have product safety issues: set safety standards that families can trust, standards that are actually enforced.”
This article originally appeared in The New York Times. /TRANSLATION BY RENATO PRELORENTZOU