May 24, 2023 19:20:00

Report that SNS has a positive impact on children and young people but can pose serious risks, Surgeon General urges policy makers and technology companies to act

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service has released a report entitled 'Social Media and Youth Mental Health.' SNS has become commonplace for young people, with 40% of children aged 8 to 12 using it, and up to 95% of teenagers aged 13 to 17 using it. While there are some 'good effects', there are also 'bad effects' that cannot be ignored

. I ask for action,” he said.

Social Media and Youth Mental Health — Current Priorities of the US Surgeon General
https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/youth-mental-health/social-media/index.html

US surgeon general says social media can put young people in danger : NPR

https://www.npr.org/2023/05/23/1177626373/us-surgeon-general-vivek-murthy-warns-about-the-dangers-of-social-media-to-kids

A guide to giving a child their first phone - The Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/10/13/guide-child-phone/

The report cites SNS's 'positive impact' on young people as functioning as a place of connection for young people who are often socially marginalized, such as the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities.

These places provide positive or identity-affirming content to the young people concerned, become a space for self-expression, and a place where young people feel 'accepted.' benefiting the

On the other hand, it has also been pointed out that children who use SNS are generally exposed to extreme and harmful content, and using SNS for more than 3 hours a day increases the risk of mental health deterioration. is twice that of children who use SNS for a short time. And a recent survey of teenagers found that they used social media for an average of 3.5 hours a day, so the report notes that it's a very concerning situation.

``There is no evidence to conclude that social media is safe enough for children,'' Mercy said. In addition to the risk of depression and anxiety symptoms, nearly half of the children said that social media had a negative impact on their body image. Just like toys, medicines, and other products used by children, we need safety standards,” and called for action to be specific, stating that safety standards “protect children from exposure to harmful content and online safety.” We need measures to protect against harassment, especially from strangers.'