Surgeon General warns of social media danger to mental health

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ON PARENTS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO

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KEEP KIDS SAFE ONLINE AND HE'S

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ARGUING THE TECH COMPANIES AND

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CONGRESS NEED TO DO MORE.

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FOR DECADES, THERE HAS BEEN THE

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SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING ON

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PACKS OF CIGARETTES.

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BUT A NEW WARNING ABOUT

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SOMETHING ELSE, SOCIAL MEDIA AND

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WHAT IT MEANS FOR KIDS MENTAL

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HEALTH.

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WHY NOW FOR THIS ADVISORY?

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>> WE'RE ISSUING THIS ADVISORY

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TO SOUND THE ALARM.

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>> Reporter: THERE IS NOT ENOUGH

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EVIDENCE TO SHOW SOCIAL MEDIA

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PLATFORMS ARE SAFE ENOUGH FOR

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KIDS AND TEENS.

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>> WE SEE RATES OF DEPRESSION

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AND ANXIETY AND SUICIDE

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ESCALATING UP AMONG YOUNG

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PEOPLE.

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I'M CONCERNED THAT SOCIAL MEDIA

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IS AN IMPORTANT DRIVER OF THAT

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YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.

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THIS IS THE DEFINING CRISIS OF

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OUR TIME.

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>> Reporter: 95% OF TEENS ARE ON

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SOCIAL MEDIA.

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MORE THAN A THIRD SAY THEY'RE ON

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CONSTANTLY.

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AND TEENS SPEND AN AVERAGE OF

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THREE AND A HALF HOURS EACH DAY

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ON THESE KINDS OF APPS,

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SOMETHING RESEARCH SHOWS CAN

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DOUBLE THE RISK OF EXPERIENCING

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SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND

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ANXIETY.

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>> THE OTHER DAY, MY DAUGHTER

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CAME UP TO MY WIFE AND I AND

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ASKED US IF SHE COULD POST A

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PICTURE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

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>> Reporter: HOW OLD IS HE?

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>> SHE'S FIVE YEARS OLD.

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SHE'S IN PRESCHOOL, BUT SHE HAS

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BEEN HEARING ABOUT THIS ON

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FRIENDS.

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>> Reporter: ALL OF THE

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PLATFORMS REQUIRE USERS TO BE AT

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HE'S 13 YEARS OLD TO CREATE

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ACCOUNTS, BUT NEARLY 40% OF KIDS

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AGES 8 TO 12 SAY THEY HAVE USED

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SOCIAL MEDIA, TOO.

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THIS TECH EXPERT SEES IT IN THE

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CONVERSATIONS HE'S HAD OVER THE

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PAST SIX YEARS WITH MORE THAN

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100,000 STUDENTS AND TEACHES.

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>> WHEN I STARTED GETTING THIS

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WORK, I WAS GETTING THE QUESTION

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IS 16 TOO YOUNG.

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NOW I'M GETTING THE QUESTION IS

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THIRD GRADE TOO YOUNG.

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>> Reporter: HE RECOMMENDS 14.

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BUT ULTIMATELY, THE RIGHT AGE

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MAY BE DIFFERENT FOR DIFFERENT

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FAMILIES.

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YOU ARE CERTAIN TO GET PUSHBACK

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FROM TECH COMPANIES WHO SAY

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THEY'RE TRYING TO PROTECT KIDS.

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>> I APPRECIATE THAT TECHNOLOGY

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COMPANIES HAVE TAKEN SOME STEPS

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TO KEEP KIDS SAFE, BUT IT HASN'T

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BEEN NEARLY TOUGH.

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>> Reporter: THE SURGEON GENERAL

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THINKS CONGRESS CAN AND SHOULD

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DO MORE TO REGULATE SOCIAL MEDIA

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COMPANIES, THE SAME WAY AS CAR SEATS, FOR EXAMPLE.

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SEATS, FOR EXAMPLE.

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AT HOME, THE ADVISORY RECOMMENDS

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TECH FREE ZONES LIKE AT MEAL

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TIMES AND PARTNERING WITH OTHER

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PARENTS WITH SIMILAR

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PHILOSOPHIES FOR SUPPORT.

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>> WHAT'S AT STAKE IS OUR KIDS

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AND THEIR FUTURE, PLAIN AND

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SIMPLE.

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>> Reporter: THE SURGEON

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GENERAL'S ADVISORY ACKNOWLEDGES

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THERE ARE GOOD THINGS ABOUT

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TEENS BEING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THE

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ABILITY TO CONNECT, FIND

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SUPPORT.

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WE REACHED OUT TO THE BIG SOCIAL

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MEDIA PLATFORMS ON THIS WAITING

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TO HEAR BACK, BUT MANY OF THEM

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HAVE PUT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IN

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PLACE.

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META PROMPTS TEENS TO TAKE

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BREAKS.

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IT REALLY IS A DEBATE FOR EACH

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FAMILY.

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IF YOU ARE WONDERING, OKAY, WHAT

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IS THE SURGEON GENERAL DOING.

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HE TELLS ME HE AND WIFE PLAN TO

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WAIT UNTIL THEIR KIDS ARE OUT OF

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MIDDLE SCHOOL TO GET ON THOSE

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APPS.

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>> IT IS THE ISSUE OF OUR TIME.

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THINK ABOUT THE WARNING ABOUT

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SMOKING IN THE '80s AND THERE IS