New York City mayor Eric Adams has officially declared that social media is a public health hazard and environmental toxin that belongs to the same category as guns and tobacco.
Social Media Declared as a Public Health Hazard
In a recently released address, Mayor Adams criticized Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. He blamed them for the mental health crisis that has been plaguing tens of millions of children across the US.
Mayor Adams explains that social media firms are fueling the widespread mental health crisis, especially for the young. He adds that they will not let Big Tech put their children to danger.
As part of the declaration, officials urged parents to implement tech-free periods for their children. They also urged adolescents to think about turning their notifications off and monitoring their emotions when they are online.
Ashwin Vasan, the Health Commissioner of New York City, also outlines the deteriorating condition of youth mental health across New York City. Vasan notes this in an advisory that declares social media use as an environmental toxin. Vasan notes nine different points on protecting children in the social media space.
As a response to the warning of New York City, a Meta spokesman suggests other factors that contribute to the youth mental health crisis. These factors include academic pressure, the COVID pandemic, and healthcare access limitations.
A YouTube spokesperson also pointed to the features for digital wellbeing that they have added to their app, while a TikTok spokesperson noted that they added bedtime reminder features as well as age restrictions.
Social Media Effects
As much as 95% of teenagers across the US use a form of social media. Several find it a place to have connections, talk about interests, and stay updated with trends. However, young people have been experiencing a heightening mental health crisis that has been linked to social media use. With this, there is a rising concern regarding social media use and the addictive habits that may form because of it.
For years, evidence has been revealing that social media can lead to detrimental effects in teenage and child mental health. This comes with advanced algorithms exposing these children and adolescents to posts that depict unrealistic body and beauty standards and that promote content of self-harm.
A study comprising 6,595 children who are 12 to 15 years old discovered that adolescents that spend more than three hours a day on social media had a doubled risk of having poor mental health outcomes, such as anxiety and depression.
Earlier this year, Montana banned TikTok over concerns and fears regarding its connections to China. This made Montana the first state in the US to have such a ban. Lawmakers are now pushing forward such efforts on a national scale.
On top of this, 33 states have also sued Meta for contributing to the mental health crisis among the youth.
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