Your Child & Social Media: What You Need To Know

The Recent U.S. Surgeon General's Report On The Dangerous Impact Of Social Media On Young People Has Reminded Parents To Sit Up And Reevaluate Their Child's Usage. All You Need To Keep Your Children Safe Is A Thorough Awareness Of The Potential Risks And A Set Of Practical Measures To Put Into Action

- PRIYANKA ACHARYA

This past April in Michigan, U.S., a school bus filled with middle school was students travelling on its usual route to take the kids home. Suddenly, the driver had a medical episode and lost consciousness. As the bus began to veer off the road, 7th grader Dillon jumped into action: he ran to the driver's seat, grabbed the steering wheel to steady the massive vehicle, and stepped on the brake. The bus's CCTV caught the dramatic moment, concluding with Dillon shouting at his classmates to call 911.

Those children may owe their lives to Dillon's quick response. But why was he the only one who noticed what was happening? Journalists interviewed the rest of the students on the bus, and each one answered that they didn't notice anything because they were occupied on their smartphones, some with headphones in. And why wasn't Dillon on his phone? Because his parents refused to get him one. His father told CBS News "What else are you going to do when you don't have a phone? You're going to look at people, you're going to notice stuff. You're going to look out the window. It's a very powerful lesson, maybe a change-the world kind of lesson."

This story is just one example of a pervasive lack of situational awareness that can be blamed on our phone addiction. But it is specifically the harmful effects of social media on young people that Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General, focused his recent 19 page advisory on. While he says that these effects are not yet entirely understood, and that social media certainly has some benefits, nevertheless "There are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents."