Surgeon General: Not Enough Evidence to Say Social Media Is Safe for Kids

The federal government doesn’t have “enough evidence” to say social media is “sufficiently safe” for children and adolescents, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said Tuesday in a new advisory. Researchers need to explore social media’s impact on youth mental health and well-being, including risks associated with sleep deprivation, depression, anxiety and body image. The report notes up to 95% of users ages 13 to 17 report using social media, and more than a third say they use it “almost constantly.” The U.S. “must acknowledge the growing body of research about potential harms, increase our collective understanding of the risks associated with social media use, and urgently take action to create safe and healthy digital environments that minimize harm and safeguard children’s and adolescents’ mental health and well-being during critical stages of development,” said Murthy.