In New Zealand, roughly 21% of kids between the ages of 10 and 19 live with a mental health disorder, a statistic that has seen a significant increase in the last 10 years, according to Unicef NZ. Has it got anything to do with the rise of social media? And can technology restrictions and warnings make a difference? The Conversation investigates. This week, the US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy called for health warnings on social media for younger users.
This recent call follows an earlier advisory on social media and youth mental health, also published by the Surgeon General. Health warnings on social media would be analogous to the ones seen on cigarette packages, serving as reminders to parents and youth of the mental health risks of social media. The Surgeon General also called for schools to become phone-free environments.
Although in his op-ed, Murthy acknowledged that research on these topics is not yet conclusive, he also noted that we “don’t have the luxury to wait for perfect information.” Concerns over smartphone use and social media’s impact on child and adolescent mental health are far from new. But they have been reignited because new warnings are being suggested and put into place to limit their use.
Smartphone bans or restrictions have been enacted in countries around the world although how these restrictions work in practice varies. Several Canadian provinces are also implementing such restrictions. Although these efforts are well-intentioned, and s.
