Policy makers, tech companies, parents must act to minimize social media harm to children: U.S. Surgeon General

SINGAPORE – US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy calls on parents, young users, policy makers, technology companies and researchers to create a healthy and safe social media environment to prevent harm to the mental health and well-being of children. issued recommendations to act now to minimize it. and young people.

Dr Murthy said last week that social media use is nearly universal among young people in the United States, but there is currently not enough data to show that social media is safe for them.

In fact, there is growing evidence that social media use is associated with harm to the mental health of young people. Exposure to harmful content and excessive and problematic use of social media are major concerns.

More research is needed to fully determine the impact of social media use on children and adolescents, but they cannot afford to wait years for the full impact of social media to become clear, the recommendation said. ing.

The report states that “almost all parents believe they have a responsibility to protect their children from inappropriate content online, but the burden of reducing the risk of harm from social media falls entirely on children and parents.” I can’t let it hurt,” he said.

What can you do?

1. Policymakers Strengthen age-appropriate safety standards, limit access in ways that make social media safer for children of all ages, better protect children’s privacy, support digital and media literacy, and support additional research. can provide funding.

2. Technology companies Promote transparent and independent evaluation of the impact of social media products and services on children and adolescents, prioritize health and safety in the design and development of these products, protect children’s privacy, and enforce minimum ages can. We also need to establish a system to thoroughly investigate online complaints and respond in a timely and transparent manner.

3. Parents and caregivers You can create a family media plan to clarify technology boundaries in your home, set up technology-free zones, model responsible social media behavior, and report problematic content and activity.

4. Children and Youth Limit your time on the platform, block unwanted contacts or content, be careful about sharing personal information, find yourself or a friend needing help, or see harassment or abuse on the platform You can contact me if you want.

5. Researcher Social media and youth mental health research can be further prioritized, and standardized definitions and measures of social media and mental health outcomes can be developed and established.