The U.S. surgeon general is warning there is not enough evidence to show that is safe for children and teens 害羞草研究所� and is calling on tech companies, parents and caregivers to take 害羞草研究所渋mmediate action to protect kids now.害羞草研究所�

With young people害羞草研究所檚 social media use 害羞草研究所渘ear universal害羞草研究所� but its true impact on mental health not fully understood, Dr. Vivek Murthy is asking tech companies to share data and increase transparency with researchers and the public and prioritize users害羞草研究所� health and safety when designing their products.

害羞草研究所淚 recognize technology companies have taken steps to try to make their platforms healthier and safer, but it害羞草研究所檚 simply not enough,害羞草研究所� Murthy told The Associated Press in an interview. 害羞草研究所淵ou can just look at the age requirements, where platforms have said 13 is the age at which people can start using their platforms. Yet 8 through 12 are on social media. How does that happen if you害羞草研究所檙e actually enforcing your policies?害羞草研究所�

To comply with federal regulation, social media companies already ban kids under 13 from signing up to their platforms 害羞草研究所� but children have been shown to easily get around the bans, both with and without their parents害羞草研究所� consent.

Other measures social platforms have taken to address concerns about children害羞草研究所檚 mental health are also easily circumvented. For instance, TikTok recently introduced a default for users under 18. But once the limit is reached, minors can simply enter a passcode to keep watching.

It害羞草研究所檚 not that the companies are unaware of the harms their platforms are causing. Meta, for instance, studied the effects of Instagram on teens害羞草研究所� mental health years ago and found that the peer pressure generated by the visually focused app led to mental health and body-image problems, and in some cases, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts in teens 害羞草研究所� especially in girls. One internal study cited 13.5% of teen girls saying Instagram makes thoughts of suicide worse and 17% of teen girls saying it makes eating disorders worse.

The research was revealed in 2021 by . Meta sought to downplay the harmful effects of its platform on teens at the time, but put on hold its work on a kids害羞草研究所� version of Instagram, which the company says is meant mainly for tweens aged 10 to 12.

害羞草研究所淭he bottom line is we do not have enough evidence to conclude that social media is, in fact, sufficiently safe for our kids. And that害羞草研究所檚 really important for parents to know,害羞草研究所� said Murthy, who害羞草研究所檚 been traveling around the country talking to parents and young people about the . 害羞草研究所淭he most common question I get from parents is whether social media is safe for their kids.害羞草研究所�

Policymakers need to address the harms of social media the same way they regulate things like car seats, baby formula, medication and other products children use, Murthy said in a published Tuesday. Parents 害羞草研究所� and kids 害羞草研究所� simply can害羞草研究所檛 do it all.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e asking parents to manage a technology that害羞草研究所檚 rapidly evolving that fundamentally changes how their kids think about themselves, how they build friendships, how they experience the world 害羞草研究所� and technology, by the way, that prior generations never had to manage,害羞草研究所� Murthy said. 害羞草研究所淎nd we害羞草研究所檙e putting all of that on the shoulders of parents, which is just simply not fair.害羞草研究所�

While Murthy is calling for more research, he says there is ample evidence now that social media can have a 害羞草研究所減rofound risk of harm害羞草研究所� on the mental health and well-being of children and teenagers.

One critical factor is children害羞草研究所檚 brain development. Adults can suffer from the harmful effects of social media. But children and adolescents are at a 害羞草研究所渇undamentally different stage of brain development, where the pathways in their brains, their social relationships, their self-esteem and identity are all under development,害羞草研究所� Murthy said. 害羞草研究所淎nd in this case, they害羞草研究所檙e even more prone to be influenced by social cues, social pressure and social comparison 害羞草研究所� and those three things exist in overwhelming abundance on social media.害羞草研究所�

In fact, frequent social media use may be associated with 害羞草研究所渄istinct changes害羞草研究所� in the developing brain, and could could increase sensitivity to social rewards and punishments, according to a study cited in the surgeon general害羞草研究所檚 report.

How and how often they use social media, as well as extreme, inappropriate and harmful content they see could have profound effects on kids害羞草研究所� and teens害羞草研究所� mental health.

And research shows they are using it a lot. al. Up to ages 13 to 17 report using a social media platform, with more than a third saying they use social media 害羞草研究所渁lmost constantly,害羞草研究所� according to the Pew Research Center.

A systematic review of 42 studies found a 害羞草研究所渃onsistent relationship between social media use and poor sleep quality, reduced sleep duration, sleep difficulties, and depression among youth.害羞草研究所� On a typical weekday, nearly one in three adolescents report using screen media until midnight or later.

What they see on social media also matters. From being bombarded unrealistic body images to a culture of 害羞草研究所渉yper-comparison害羞草研究所� to bullying, hate and abuse, Murthy said he害羞草研究所檚 worried that its effects on young people害羞草研究所檚 mental health are showing up in the 害羞草研究所渄isturbing mental health statistics that we are seeing in our country, which are telling us that depression, anxiety, suicide, loneliness are all going up.害羞草研究所�

Murthy害羞草研究所檚 report doesn害羞草研究所檛 tell young people to stop using social media altogether. There are benefits, too. It害羞草研究所檚 where teens can find a community and have a space for self-expression. LGBTQ+ youth, in particular, have been shown to benefit from social media through connecting with peers, developing an identity and finding social support.

害羞草研究所淔or every family, it may not be feasible to stop your child from using social media or there may be benefit,害羞草研究所� Murthy said. 害羞草研究所淏ut drawing boundaries around the use of social media in your child害羞草研究所檚 life so there are times and spaces that are protected, that are tech free, that can be really helpful.害羞草研究所�

Murthy害羞草研究所檚 own children are 5 and 6, but like many parents, he害羞草研究所檚 already thinking about their future on social media.

害羞草研究所淲e are planning to delay the use of social media for our kids until after middle school,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淎nd you know, that害羞草研究所檚 not going to be easy. But we害羞草研究所檙e hoping to find other parents and families that we can partner with to make this a little easier, because we know there害羞草研究所檚 strength in numbers and sometimes making changes on your own is hard.害羞草研究所�

Barbara Ortutay, The Associated Press

Like us on and follow us on .