Vivek Murthy: We’re Living in the Middle of a Youth Mental Health Crisis in America

BRZEZINSKI the adverse effects ░░░░░░░░ social media on our ░░░░░░░░ population According to the ░░░░░░░░ of Health and Human ░░░░░░░░ and the surgeon general ░░░░░░░░ half of the teenagers ░░░░░░░░ spoke to say social ░░░░░░░░ makes them feel worse ░░░░░░░░ their body image Over ░░░░░░░░ percent say they are ░░░░░░░░ to hate based content ░░░░░░░░ social media either often ░░░░░░░░ sometimes And nearly 75 ░░░░░░░░ say social media apps ░░░░░░░░ sites are only doing ░░░░░░░░ fair to poor job ░░░░░░░░ addressing online harassment Joining ░░░░░░░░ now US Surgeon General ░░░░░░░░ Vivek Murthy SCARBOROUGH Thank ░░░░░░░░ so much for being ░░░░░░░░ us Mr Surgeon General ░░░░░░░░ tell us about your ░░░░░░░░ General s advisory over ░░░░░░░░ media and the mental ░░░░░░░░ of youth in America ░░░░░░░░ Well we re living ░░░░░░░░ the middle of a ░░░░░░░░ and mental health crisis ░░░░░░░░ America and I have ░░░░░░░░ before this is a ░░░░░░░░ public health issue of ░░░░░░░░ time And the reason ░░░░░░░░ m issuing this advisory ░░░░░░░░ I m very concerned ░░░░░░░░ that social media is ░░░░░░░░ important factor that is ░░░░░░░░ this youth mental health ░░░░░░░░ You know I talk ░░░░░░░░ parents all across the ░░░░░░░░ and the most common ░░░░░░░░ that they ask me ░░░░░░░░ is social media safe ░░░░░░░░ my kids And the ░░░░░░░░ is I mean look ░░░░░░░░ the collection of publicly ░░░░░░░░ evidence and we talk ░░░░░░░░ researchers and subject matter ░░░░░░░░ we can t say ░░░░░░░░ social media is in ░░░░░░░░ safe for our kids ░░░░░░░░ fact what we do ░░░░░░░░ is growing evidence of ░░░░░░░░ And specifically you think ░░░░░░░░ the fact that kids ░░░░░░░░ use more than three ░░░░░░░░ of social media a ░░░░░░░░ face a greater risk ░░░░░░░░ fact double their risk ░░░░░░░░ depression and anxiety symptoms ░░░░░░░░ is especially concerning when ░░░░░░░░ consider the fact that ░░░░░░░░ average amount of use ░░░░░░░░ kids is 3 1 ░░░░░░░░ hours a day So ░░░░░░░░ bottom line is this ░░░░░░░░ a real point of ░░░░░░░░ here When nearly half ░░░░░░░░ kids are telling us ░░░░░░░░ social media use makes ░░░░░░░░ feel worse about their ░░░░░░░░ image I think about ░░░░░░░░ as a father who ░░░░░░░░ two young children and ░░░░░░░░ want every parent wants ░░░░░░░░ want my kids to ░░░░░░░░ up confident to grow ░░░░░░░░ feeling good about themselves ░░░░░░░░ want them to be ░░░░░░░░ to thrive We should ░░░░░░░░ sure that social media ░░░░░░░░ in fact a place ░░░░░░░░ our kids get benefits ░░░░░░░░ where they re not ░░░░░░░░