CNN
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US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said he believes 13 is too young for children to join social media platforms, and while the sites allow children of that age to participate, children are still “developing their identities.” This is because it is “under formation.”
Meta, Twitter, and many other social media giants now allow 13-year-olds to join their platforms.
“Personally, I believe that 13 is too young, based on the data I have seen. This is a time when children need to reflect on how they think about their own values and relationships. “This is a critical time. The distorted and often distorted environment of social media has a negative impact on many children,” Murthy told CNN Newsroom.
The number of teens using social media is causing alarm among medical experts, who point to a growing body of research about the harm these platforms cause young people.
Murthy acknowledged that it would be difficult to keep children away from these platforms given their popularity, but suggested parents could find success by presenting a united front.
“If parents can come together and say, as a group, we’re not going to allow our kids to use social media until they’re 16 or 17 or 18 or whatever age they choose, then that’s your “It’s a much more effective strategy in keeping children safe. Children are not exposed to harm early on,” he told CNN.
A new study suggests that habitually checking social media may change brain chemistry in adolescents.
A study published this month in JAMA Pediatrics found that students who check social media more regularly show greater hypersensitivity in certain parts of their brains, and over time their brains become more responsive to social influences. I found that it makes me more sensitive.
Psychiatrists like Dr. Adriana Stacy have noted this phenomenon for years. Stacey, who primarily works with teenagers and college students, previously told CNN that using social media releases a “dopamine dump” in her brain.
“When we do something addictive, like using cocaine or using a smartphone, our brain releases a large amount of dopamine at once. It tells our brain to keep using it.” she said. “This part of the brain, especially in teenagers, is very active compared to adults. They can’t get the motivation to do anything else.”
Recent research shows that excessive screen time can affect brain development. For example, in young children, excessive screen time was significantly associated with emerging literacy and reduced ability to use expressive language.
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, who recently published an op-ed on loneliness and mental health in Bulwark, echoed the Surgeon General’s concerns about social media. “We’ve lost something as a society, because so much of our lives has become screen-to-screen communication that it doesn’t give us the same sense of value or satisfaction that talking to someone or seeing someone does. I’m not going to give it to you,”’ Murphy said in an interview with Marcy on CNN.
For both Murphy and Marcy, the issue of social media addiction is personal. Both are fathers, Murphy to his teens and Marcy to his young children. “It’s no coincidence that Dr. Murthy and I probably discuss this issue of loneliness more than anyone else in public,” Murphy told CNN. “I’m looking at this from the perspective of a 14-year-old and an 11-year-old.”
Murphy explained that as a country, the United States is not helpless in the face of Big Tech. Lawmakers could make different decisions about restricting young children’s access to social media or encouraging companies to make their algorithms less addictive.
The Surgeon General also spoke out about addictive algorithms and explained that pitting young people against Big Tech is “not a fair fight at all.” “We have some of the best designers and product developers in the world who designed these products to help people get the most out of the time they spend on these platforms,” he told CNN. When you tell kids to use their willpower to control how much time they spend, you’re pitting them against the world’s best product designers.”
Despite the hurdles parents and children face, Murphy expressed optimism about the future of social media.
“None of this is in our control. When dangerous vehicles were on the road, we enacted laws to make those vehicles less dangerous,” he told CNN. “We have to make a decision [social media] It’s a healthier experience that helps children feel better about themselves and less lonely. ”