"SNS Use May Cause Self-Esteem Decline"
"Active Efforts Needed from Families and Government"
The U.S. public health authorities have warned that social networking services (SNS) such as Instagram and Facebook can pose serious risks to the mental health of adolescents.
On the 23rd (local time), according to The New York Times (NYT) and others, Vivek Murthy, head of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) and Surgeon General, released a 19-page public health advisory related to the impact of SNS.
In the announcement, Surgeon General Murthy stated, "Despite some positive effects of SNS, there is extensive evidence that it harms the health and well-being of children," adding, "A nationwide mental health crisis among young people is emerging, with SNS identified as a major contributing factor. This is an urgent issue that must be addressed."
He further pointed out, "SNS use plays a role in causing and sustaining body image issues, affecting eating behaviors and sleep quality, and leading to social comparison and decreased self-esteem." He added, "These phenomena may be particularly pronounced among adolescent females."
Surgeon General Murthy claimed that adolescents who use SNS for more than three hours a day are twice as likely to experience mental health problems such as depression and anger. He emphasized the need for active efforts from families and the government to suppress the negative functions of SNS.
Murthy advised, "Families need to help prevent teenagers from becoming addicted to SNS," and suggested, "At home, efforts should be made to maintain mealtime routines and create phone-free times to foster social bonding and conversation." Regarding the government, he said, "It should establish appropriate health and safety standards for technology platforms according to age groups."
The NYT evaluated, "This announcement by the PHSCC elevates the previously underestimated adolescent mental health issue to the most important public health challenge that society as a whole must solve," and added, "It is also quite unusual to specifically pinpoint the harms of SNS."
Earlier, in an interview with the NYT the day before, Surgeon General Murthy also said, "Minors are not simply small adults," and "They are at a critical stage of brain development."
Meanwhile, the polling organization Pew Research Center recently surveyed SNS usage frequency among American teenagers, finding that about 95% of teenagers use at least one SNS platform. Among them, one-third were found to use SNS almost constantly.
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