In June, U.S. surgeon general, Dr.
Vivek Murthy published an op-ed in the New York Times recommending warning labels be placed on social media sites, warning users of the “significant mental health harms for adolescents” associated with using these platforms and stating that these sites are driving a teen mental health crisis. “One of the most important lessons I learned in medical school was that in an emergency, you don’t have the luxury to wait for perfect information. You assess the available facts, you use your best judgment, and you act quickly,” he wrote.
Teens today spend a significant amount of their time online. Over 51% say they spend at least 4 hours a day using social media, according to a 2023 Gallup survey , and nearly 1 in 5 say they use Youtube or Tik Tok almost constantly. Latino youth use social media the most, with 1 in 3 Latino teens on Tik Tok constantly, according to Pew Research Center in December.
Last year, an Amnesty International report said their research found that after 5 to 6 hours on the app, almost 1 in 2 videos shown were related to mental health and potentially harmful. While there are benefits of social media usage including building connections, a sense of community, and a space for self expression , experts warn that the cons outweigh the pros. “Imagine if all of your socialization, instead of having happened in the schoolyard or playing soccer or volleyball with your friends, had happened on Facebook or Fortnite .
Your perce.