is an Associate Video Producer & Editor for MedPage Today. She is based in Manhattan. MedPage Today Hello, I'm Jeremy Faust, Editor-in-Chief of .
I'm so glad to be joined today by Dr. Vivek Murthy. Dr.
Murthy is the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States, and he has issued a number of very important public health advisories, which we will discuss today. Dr. Vivek Murthy, thank you so much for joining us.
Of course. I'm glad to join you, Jeremy. Recently, I think there's been a lot of talk about social media and your advisory regarding social media use.
I've heard you speak in a very nuanced way about this, and my initial take is that the dose makes the poison or that certain forms are less harmful than others. And right there on page five of your report, it says 'Social media has both positive and negative impacts on children and adolescents.' I think we could talk about some of the negative ones, but I'd like to start with something positive.
What are some things that you think are actually positive about social media for young people? Well, I think some young people do get some benefits, and those include things like the opportunity to express themselves more freely or creatively and the opportunity to find a community of people that they may not have in person -- people who may share their life experiences or concerns or interests. It's also an opportunity for some people to stay in touch with old friends, old high school friends, or friends from college after .