New Surgeon General Advisory on Parental Stress Highlights Social Media Concerns
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A new advisory on parental stress released by the surgeon general has further emphasized the growing mental health concerns surrounding how social media affects children and parents.
The advisory explored the causes of increased stress for parents, revealing that their children’s social media use is a major factor. The advisory cited data from a Pew Research Center study stating that 66% of U.S. parents believe parenting is now harder than it was 20 years ago. The top two cited reasons were their children’s use of technology and social media.
“The stress and mental health challenges faced by parents — just like loneliness, workplace well-being and the impact of social media on youth mental health — aren’t always visible, but they can take a steep toll,” Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said in an accompanying New York Times op-ed. “It’s time to recognize they constitute a serious public health concern for our country.”
The mental health of children is a major concern for parents regarding the use of social media and technology. More than half of parents in the U.S. are at least somewhat worried that their child experiences social media harm that could lead to anxiety, depression or lower self-esteem.
Other stressors parents are dealing with, according to the advisory, include children’s health and safety, as well as parental isolation.
Lawsuits against social media platforms have grown in recent years, with the focus on whether their use has led to serious mental health concerns, self-harm and addiction.
As of this week, there were 584 social media lawsuits pending in multidistrict litigation.
Concerns Around Social Media’s Mental Health Impact Continue to Grow
Children’s use of social media being listed among the top stressors for parents is not the first time the surgeon general has highlighted the impact social media platforms have on adolescents.
The surgeon general previously released an advisory on social media and youth mental health in 2023 and also called for warning labels to be added to social media platforms in June.
When explaining his call for labels in a New York Times op-ed, Murthy referenced a study that found that adolescents who spend over three hours a day on social media are twice as likely to experience symptoms of anxiety and depression.
“One of the worst things for a parent is to know your children are in danger yet be unable to do anything about it,” he wrote. “That is how parents tell me they feel when it comes to social media — helpless and alone in the face of toxic content and hidden harms.”
Social media use is significant among teens. A 2023 Pew Research Center study found that over 60% of teens aged 13 to 17 use TikTok and Snapchat, with 59% using Instagram as well.
35% of teens said they are on a major social media platform “almost constantly.”
Lawsuits Claim Social Media Use Results in Emotional, Physical Harm
Lawsuits have continued to be filed in a California MDL against companies over the potential mental health impacts that their social media platforms may be having on children.
According to the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, litigation claims that social media platforms are designed to maximize screen time, encourage addiction and can lead to emotional and physical harm in kids.
Mental health concerns include eating disorders, addiction and self-harm.
A majority of the cases plaintiffs filed are against the owner of Facebook and Instagram, with popular platforms like TikTok and YouTube also facing litigation.
Editor Lindsay Donaldson contributed to this article.
