Unprecedented health warning issued the day before yesterday by the chief physician USA about the dangers of social media childrencalling for a thorough examination of the possible “damage mental health children and teenagers.”

In a 19-page report, the head of the US Federal Health Service, Dr. Vivek Murthy, emphasizes that the consequences social media in the field of adolescent mental health have not been adequately studied, but it is added that these media may be useful for some of their users. However, Dr. Murthy writes: “There is ample evidence that social networks (social media) may cause damage.

The report includes practical advice for parents on how to guide their children through these media. The US official recommends that parents adopt a no-electronics policy in family meals to get closer to their children and encourage discussion and exchange. He also suggests creating a “family social media plan,” setting limits on content but keeping teen users’ personal data out of the sight of family members.

Age certification

Dr. Murthy also urges Internet companies to implement effective methods for verifying the age of users and create special safe places for underage users to discuss and share information. “Teens are not just ‘little adults’. They are at a different stage of maturation and at a critical juncture in their brain development,” a federal official said in an interview last Monday, the day before the report was released.

US politicians, most of whom grew up in Age of the Internet, are struggling to develop methods to control new media. Montana Governor Signs Bill Banning Video App tik tak within state boundaries. The Chinese company that owns the app has filed a lawsuit in a US civil court against the decision. In March, the state of Utah was the first in the United States to ban the use of social media by minors without prior parental permission. The law will drastically reduce the access of minors to applications such as Instagram And Facebook.

Their continued use increases the incidence of anxiety and depression, suicide attempts, and cases of self-harm.

A Pew Research survey found that 95% of teens reported using at least one social media platform “almost all the time.” However, as the use of social media grows, so does the number of incidents. stress And depressionas well as in suicidal attempts and cases of self-mutilation.

The report may lead to new research into the relationship between the two aforementioned phenomena. Earlier this month, the American Psychological Association released its first guidelines on social media use, advising parents to closely monitor their children’s social media activity. The union also urged companies to rethink infinite scroll and the like button. More and more research in recent years has shown a possible link between social media use and increased anxiety among teenagers. However, the results of these studies have always been mixed. A review of all studies conducted between 2019 and 2021 concluded that the link between social media and mental health cannot be confirmed by clinical data.

Evidence shows that social media can affect the mental health of young people to the extent that its abuse leads to sleep deprivation and a refusal to exercise. On the other hand, social networks help teenagers by offering them a space to exchange opinions and express themselves freely.

At the same time, the federal doctor points out in his report that social media platforms are “full of extreme, inappropriate and psychologically harmful content.” Some of this content “may be construed as promoting self-harm, eating disorders, other self-destructive behaviors, and digital violence (cyberbullying).

The report notes that companies in the industry have a financial interest in keeping their users logged in for as long as possible, deliberately using addiction-promoting tactics. “Our children have become captive guinea pigs in a multi-year experiment,” the chief medical officer said in a report. A spokesman for Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said the report contains recommendations that “make sense and have already been implemented in most Meta cases.” The measures that the company has already taken relate to the enforcement of restrictive rules for users under 16 years of age.

The report does not recommend prudent use of social media and does not directly condemn social media use by young people, only concluding: “We do not have sufficient data on the safety or risks of social media for children and adolescents. “.

Diagnostic test of children’s attitudes to network platforms

The Chief Medical Officer’s Report is not just a text about health, as previous similar recommendations have changed US and global attitudes towards smoking (1960s report), HIV/AIDS (1980s), and obesity (early 2000s). However, the federal health authority’s warning lacks practical advice. Dr. Gary Small, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the Hackensack University School of Medicine, emphasizes: “Families need to take the warnings seriously. However, social media in and of itself is not harmful to young people. Parents should watch how the use of such media affects their children.”

Questions for parents to identify potential problems and practical advice on how to fix them.

“This question is a useful starting point,” says pediatrician Dr. Jane Radesky. “They play sports? Do they do ballet? Radeski continues. If children are active outside of school and outside of social media, then their relationships with these media can be healthy and balanced, even if they are everyday. If social media is the child’s primary method of emotional release after a hard day at school, then a parent must come up with ways to encourage the child to participate in outdoor activities.

– Opinions of experts on this score differ. “However, time is an important factor,” explains Ann-Marie Albano, director of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Youth Mental Health Center. As such, parents should have a clear idea of ​​how many hours their child spends on social media. The doctor recommends a “quota” of five hours of lifelong communication for every hour on the social media screen. The adults in the home should also moderate their digital habits by setting a bad example by spending too much time with their electronic devices.

Will my child have difficulty limiting social media use?

“Kids of all ages are angry about being forced to turn off their digital devices. “But if you see them crying, getting angry and yelling at you – especially if it’s done systematically – you should be worried,” says Dr. Albano.

All the experts who spoke to The Times stressed the importance of sleep for teens and urged parents to follow strict family rules, such as removing all electronic devices from bedrooms at night.

Parents should also check to see if social media is affecting their children’s performance in school and whether it contributes to changes in appetite or mood, which could be a harbinger of psychological stress. “Parents can initiate an open and non-judgmental conversation with teens about their experiences using social media. These media outlets are not going away, so the solution cannot be to keep them out of the house,” says Dr. Jesse Gold, assistant professor of psychiatry at St. Louis University School of Medicine.