Tech View: Social media dangers get surgeon general warning

It’s hardly breaking news to conclude that the carefully engineered addictiveness of social media platforms can be dangerous for kids. But how the latest red flag was raised is worth exploring.

One week ago U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a formal advisory on “Social Media and Youth Mental Health,” calling for swift and broad action to ensure apps and websites are safe for young people.

“While social media may have benefits for some children and adolescents, there are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents,” the advisory read.

The call to action was positioned as part of an ongoing national youth mental health crisis declared in 2021 as researchers assessed the collective impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on youth.

It might seem like the country’s top medical expert is late to the party, but the formal advisory is a big deal. A surgeon general’s advisory is reserved for “significant public health challenges that require the nation’s immediate awareness and action.”

Past surgeons general have focused attention on the hazards of smoking (1964), depictions of violence in mass media (1972), the AIDS epidemic (1986), drunken driving (1989) and obesity (2001), for example. And each of these declarations led to significant changes in both public policy and public awareness.

“The most common question parents ask me is, ‘Is social media safe for my kids?’” Murthy said in a news release. “The answer is that we don’t have enough evidence to say it’s safe, and in fact, there is growing evidence that social media use is associated with harm.”

Notably, the advisory does acknowledge the upsides of social media: Platforms like Instagram and TikTok provide youth an opportunity to express themselves, find and build community — especially when physically isolated — and seek out support and encouragement in challenging times.

But the dangers are also clear.

“Children are exposed to harmful content on social media, ranging from violent and sexual content, to bullying and harassment,” Murthy notes. “And for too many children, social media use is compromising their sleep and valuable in-person time with family and friends.”

In other words, setting aside the critical issues of moderating content and combating fraud and abuse, the simple amount of time kids spend online is worrying.

“Adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social media face double the risk” of depression and anxiety, for example, while a 2021 survey of teenagers found that they already spend 3-1/2 hours a day on such platforms.

The cigarette crackdown of the past century revealed that tobacco companies knew early on that their products were dangerous. Similarly, social media companies today are already aware of the negative impacts that their offerings have on young people. They’ve hired experts, studied it and implemented changes to reduce harm — even as they continued to tweak algorithms and interfaces to keep everyone logged on. As Murthy notes, they need to do more.

Tech companies need to be more public and open on their child safety efforts, he said, including sharing data with researchers. More specifically, they need to step up privacy protections, enforcement of age requirements, and response times for abuse reports and complaints.

The surgeon general also has assignments for lawmakers, establishing safety standards and funding digital and media literacy programs.

As for parents? The most fundamental task is communication — admittedly already a challenge for some families. Talk about responsible online behavior, setting boundaries and responding to bullying, harassment and threats. Model responsible behavior, too, in your own online habits.

Limiting time online is probably the most practical suggestion. Tools to help with this are everywhere, from Wi-Fi hot spot makers to smartphone manufacturers to individual apps. And if three hours a day is the currently known threshold, aim for a smaller window.

I especially like the suggestion of setting “tech-free zones,” like the dinner table or the bedroom. This approach naturally opens the door for interacting and sharing updates face-to-face instead. You can always say out loud, “I like that!”

Need more help? One good resource for online safety, privacy, security and digital wellness is connectsafely.org.

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Ryan Kawailani Ozawa hosts Hawaii Slack, a free and open chat platform for Hawaii’s tech workers and entrepreneurs.