Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory
1What parents should know
Reviews what is known and not yet known about social media and youth mental health, and asks families, companies and policymakers to act.
2How to use this resource
- Make a family media plan that sets limits, including for social media.
- Create tech-free zones at home and encourage in-person friendships.
- Model responsible use yourself.
- Teach children about technology and how to take part online responsibly.
- Report cyberbullying, online abuse and exploitation.
3Sources and check record
The research behind it
Start with the finding, then check the study type, source and limits. We select research by topic; a programme’s overall effect does not establish the effect of each activity.Using data on more than 350,000 adolescents, the study found that digital technology use explained at most 0.4% of the variation in well-being - a negative but very small association on average.
Related
An online tool from the American Academy of Pediatrics for agreeing screen and device rules as a family.
Ten recommendations based on the research to date, including adult monitoring in early adolescence, protecting sleep and physical activity, and social media literacy training before use begins.
Key facts on mental health conditions in 10- to 19-year-olds, the factors that protect or put them at risk, and what helps.