Statement on US Surgeon General’s Warning About the Impact of Social Media on Teens
SAN FRANCISCO, May 23, 2023—Today, the U.S. Surgeon General released a new advisory about the impact of social media on youth mental health. James P. Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, and Amanda Lenhart, the organization's Head of Research, issued the following statements reacting to the advisory.
"For years, Common Sense Media, alongside the US Surgeon General, has been sounding the alarm on the negative impact of social media on kids' wellbeing," said James P. Steyer, Founder and CEO of Common Sense Media. "If we cannot confidently point to evidence that says social media is safe for children, why should tech companies be allowed to target them with their products? Kids are not lab experiments, and social media's addictive design features will continue to compromise the wellbeing of young people if we do not act now."
The advisory calls for increased involvement from policymakers, tech companies, and researchers, with the goal of informing policy, best practices, and effective interventions.
"It's clear that there are still major gaps in our knowledge about the impact of social media platforms on young people," said Amanda Lenhart, Head of Research at Common Sense Media. "More research will help us better identify those who need interventions, and how they should be deployed; in the meantime, it's important to heed the Surgeon General's actionable advice to create healthy digital environments that safeguard children's mental health during critical stages of development."
The US Surgeon General's advisory, which cites several studies by Common Sense Media, can be found here.
###
About Common Sense
Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. Learn more at commonsense.org.
Press contact:
Communication Team