The US Surgeon General is calling for stronger regulations and increased scrutiny of minors’ use of social media websites.
Washington DC – The US Surgeon General has warned that social media carries “significant risks of adversely impacting the mental health and well-being of children” and called for further regulation and research into the use of internet platforms by minors.
In a report released Tuesday, Vivek Murthy, the government’s top public health spokesperson and known as the nation’s doctor, draws on existing research to outline the effects of social media on children. did.
The advisory identifies potential risks to children and teens from using social media, including sleep deprivation, mental health issues, cyberbullying, access to extreme content, and susceptibility to predatory behavior from adults. We emphasized that there is a possibility of serious harm.
“Excessive and problematic social media use, including compulsive or uncontrolled use, is associated with sleep disturbances, attention problems, and feelings of alienation in adolescents,” Murthy wrote.
The report explains that children and teenagers are particularly susceptible to the influence of social media because they are at a “very sensitive period in their brain development.”
NEW: Today, I announced the Surgeon General’s recommendations regarding social media. #YouthMentalHealth. This is the next step in our office’s efforts to address the youth mental health crisis. https://t.co/6JadYlxORy 1/7 pic.twitter.com/UrHNP1Uq15
— Dr. Vivek Murthy, US Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) May 23, 2023
The recommendation comes as government authorities struggle to develop guidelines and concerns grow over the prevalence of social media use among children.
Earlier this year, Utah passed a law requiring parental consent for minors to join social media platforms and blocking children’s access to websites between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. did. The regulations are expected to take effect next year, but questions remain about how they will be enforced.
In his recommendations Tuesday, Murthy highlighted the lack of research as a challenge to understanding the problem.
“Although nearly all American teens use social media, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that social media is sufficiently safe for them,” the report said. It’s dark. “Our children have become unwitting participants in a decades-long experiment.”
It added that it was important for independent researchers and technology companies to work together to “advance our understanding of the impact of social media on children.”
Despite these concerns, Murthy believes that social media has the potential to help children connect with others who share their identities and experiences, build friendships online, and engage in positive interactions. He pointed out that it could bring significant benefits.
However, he emphasized that social media platforms are encouraging users to spend more time on their websites through things like push notifications, infinite scrolling, likes and content recommendations.
“Social media platforms are often designed to maximize user engagement, which can encourage overuse and behavioral regulation,” the advisory reads.
The report also warned of “extreme, inappropriate and harmful content” accessible that could put children at risk or cause them to harm themselves.
Viral “challenges” on social media often prompt users to take unconventional and sometimes dangerous actions. Last month, a 13-year-old boy in Ohio died after overdosing on allergy medication while trying to imitate a TikTok challenge.
“Social media can also perpetuate body dissatisfaction, disordered eating behaviors, social comparisons, and low self-esteem, especially among adolescent girls,” Murthy said in the advisory. .
The Surgeon General issued a list of recommendations for policymakers, researchers, social media companies, parents and children, calling for a “safety first” approach to protecting consumers. He called for the introduction of health and safety standards appropriate to the age of children.
“Such standards may include designing technology that is developmentally appropriate and safe for the child. “Harmful content (content that promotes eating disorders, violence, substance abuse, sexual exploitation, suicide; , or content that discusses methods of suicide),” the report states.
It also called for “limiting the use of features that seek to maximize time, attention, and engagement” and creating tools that “protect activities essential to healthy development, such as sleep.”
Murthy suggested parents create a family plan that sets boundaries around social media use and establish technology-free zones to encourage face-to-face interactions. The health secretary also said adults should lead by example.
“Parents can help by limiting their own use, being mindful of their social media habits (including when and how parents share information and content about their children), and modeling positive behavior for their children. “Can set a good example of what responsible and healthy social media use looks like,” the advisory states.