SRCD Signs on to Letter on Social Media Use and Children and Adolescents’ Mental Health
SRCD signed on to an American Psychological Association (APA) letter on the adverse impacts of social media use on children and adolescents and opportunities to provide families with the tools to navigate social media safely. The APA letter, addressed to the Surgeon General, emphasizes the importance of science-informed public education campaigns that focus on the particular needs of youth, their parents, and guardians.
The letter notes, “We know that there are ways to beneficially use social media platforms, especially for those individuals seeking to buffer the impacts of negative life events, decrease feelings of isolation, gain a sense of purpose, and experience feelings of acceptance or being understood (Daine et al., 2013). And early evidence of technology-based mental health interventions also show promise at treating a range of problems (Galla et al., 2021; Myers et al., 2007; Nelson et al., 2017). But users of social media platforms remain uninformed and biologically susceptible to negative outcomes…there is a clear need for an education campaign that enhances the public’s understanding of the potential harms posed by social media and encourages parents and children to educate themselves with evidence-informed suggestions for its appropriate use.”
