Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy again called on parents in an interview Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” to regulate their children’s use of social media to protect their mental health — particularly at younger ages.
“Delaying the use of social media for your kid as long as possible is important,” Murthy told host Kristen Welker. “The bottom line is these devices, these platforms, in particular, social media platforms, are having an effect on our children.”
He cited 16 years old as a “benchmark” but said that could vary from child to child.
“The adolescent brain is not the same as an adult brain. … They are more susceptible to social comparison, to social suggestion, their impulse control is not as well developed, and that puts them more at risk of the negative effects of social media,” Murthy said.
Murthy has long warned of the dangers social media can pose to minors. He said in a CNN interview last year he planned to wait until his own kids reach at least high school to allow them to use online social platforms.
He expanded on that personal note during Sunday’s interview.
“In high school — this is what we’re planning to do for my kids — we’re going to reassess, based on whether real safety standards have been put in place, what the data is telling us, and the maturity of our kids,” he explained.
He also has called on Congress to set tighter regulations and warnings for social media, comparing the measures to safety standards set for automobiles.
“What we’re doing now is we’re basically — it’s the equivalent of putting our kids in cars with no seat belts, with no airbags, and having them drive on roads with no speed limits and no traffic lights,” Murthy said. “That is just morally unacceptable.”
“I think Congress has so far failed in its responsibility to protect our kids, but it’s not too late,” he added.
