The United States Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, has issued a public advisory warning about the potential risks of social media use to young people. In a report, Murthy noted that while social media can be beneficial to some users, it can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents. The report cited research indicating that up to 95 percent of teens reported using at least one social media platform, while more than one-third said they used social media “almost constantly.” The advisory also pointed out that social media spaces can be fraught for young people, especially in early adolescence when identities and sense of self-worth are forming. The advisory joins a growing number of calls for action around adolescents and social media, as experts probe what role it may play in the ongoing teen mental health crisis.
The surgeon general called on policymakers, tech companies, researchers, and parents to urgently take action to safeguard against the potential risks. Murthy expressed an urgent need for clarity on several research fronts, including the types of social media content that cause harm, whether particular neurological pathways, such as those involving reward and addiction, are affected, and which strategies could be used to protect the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents. Dr. Murthy acknowledged that until now, the burden of protecting youth has fallen predominantly on children, adolescents, and their families.
It is critical that independent researchers and technology companies work together to rapidly advance understanding of the impact of social media on children and adolescents. Dr. Murthy stressed the need for setting in place safety standards that parents can rely on, which are actually enforced. Researchers have been struggling to understand the impact of social media use on teen mental health, and the data indicate that the effects can be both positive and negative. Social media enables some young people to connect with others, find community and express themselves. But social media also brims with extreme, inappropriate, and harmful content, including content that normalizes self-harming, eating disorders, and other destructive behavior. Cyberbullying is rampant, and the rise in social media use has coincided with declines in exercise, sleep, and other activities considered vital to the developing brain.