Webdesk: The US Surgeon General has warned about the mental health risks of social media, particularly for adolescent girls. On 23 May, the Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, advised internet businesses to protect young brains.
While acknowledging social media’s benefits, Murthy stressed that “ample indicators that social media could also harm children’s well-being”. He underlined the urgency of addressing social media’s involvement in the national youth mental health crisis.
The recommendation noted social media’s detrimental influence on youth mental health. Social media can cause body image concerns, inappropriate eating, sleep disturbances, social comparison, and low self-esteem, especially among adolescent girls.
Adolescent survey responses informed these conclusions. The report also found that adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social media are twice as likely to develop despair and anxiety.
The recommendation noted that many adolescents benefit from social media. They felt more accepted, encouraged during tough times, connected to friends, and creative through social media.
The report urged governments to boost safety rules to improve social media for children of all ages. It stressed the need to restrict access to harmful and unsuitable content that endangers children.
Tech companies advised to limit social media access by age and disclose the effects of their goods on youngsters. The recommendation also suggested that algorithms and platform designs maximise social media’s benefits rather than encouraging prolonged use.
Saul Levin, CEO of the British Psychiatric Association, stressed the necessity of holding social media companies to the same standard as healthcare, which is “do no harm.” The research offered parents, tech corporations, and teens ways to use social media securely and positively.
The US Surgeon General’s advise concludes that social media can affect youth mental health, particularly adolescent girls. It urges tech corporations, legislators, parents, and others to protect digital-age youth.
