When United States (US) Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy pushed for a tobacco-style warning on social media, he called the mental…

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    When United States (US) Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy pushed for a tobacco-style warning on social media, he called the mental health crisis in young people an emergency that demanded action without waiting for “perfect information.”

    Even among experts, questions remain about the exact role that social media plays in the mental health of children and teens. Authors of a comprehensive new review of research on the topic say there’s still key information missing to know whether prevention programs and interventions will work.

    In the study, published recently in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics, researchers found an overall link between anxiety and depression in adolescents and the time spent on social media platforms, as well as a link between the types of activities and content they were interacting with. However, the level of impact varied enough to suggest that the findings shouldn’t be generalized to the population as a whole. “In a world increasingly saturated by digital technology, we cannot afford to design prevention programs, interventions, and regulations without knowing that they work for everyone, especially those who are most vulnerable,” wrote the study authors.

     The National Academies committee specifically recommend against a social media ban. Despite potential harms — such as unhealthy social comparisons and distracting from other important healthy behaviors such as sleep, exercise and studying — social media can also benefit young people by helping to foster connection with friends and family, and with online support communities.

(Deidre McPhillips. https://edition.cnn.com, 24.06.2024. Adapted.)