The use of social media especially affects the mental health of youth. The US Surgeon General actually represents the doctors of all American states. The Surgeon General is consulted by the President of the United States on all public health matters and health emergencies. This is one of the highest positions in America and it is responsible for the entire healthcare system of America. The current Surgeon General, Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy NDTV Talked exclusively on many issues and this also included the issue of impact of social media on people’s mental health.
He said that many countries are currently facing mental health emergency, there are countless cases of depression, anxiety and even suicide are becoming problems for the countries. He said that people are not able to talk about mental health with their family and people around them, nor do they want to. This increases their struggle even more. But mental health is as important as one’s physical health. This should be taken with priority.
The difference of generations also plays an important role here. People of the older generation used to talk very little on this issue. Comparatively, people of the new generation talk more about this. Along with this, the culture of different areas is also a factor. He said that his family is originally from India, but we never talked about mental health.
There is a lot of pressure on today’s youth to do better in life. When they are asked what success means to them, the answer is that people expect them to have a lot of money, a big name in the world, and a lot of power. There is nothing wrong in wanting all this, but if people start thinking about where the path to long-term satisfaction in life lies, then life’s experiences will seem to give some other suggestions.
According to Dr. Vivek Murthy, if we truly want to see our children satisfied, then there is a need to think more deeply about it. Let us discover how to provide our children with a life of purpose that leads to satisfaction, that includes service, and that benefits the surrounding community. Because these are the building blocks of a fulfilling life that we ultimately want to pass on to our children.
He said that suicide rates have also increased rapidly in the last two decades. Loneliness is increasing among people. And the most worrying thing is that this loneliness is now being found most among children. But it is hurting the youth equally. Now everyone has access to mobile phones. Children also consume negative news through mobile phones due to which they are becoming violent.
On average, children are spending more than 3 hours every day on social media. Due to this, the risk of depression and anxiety is also doubling in them. The algorithms of social media are such that humans get addicted to it. These algorithms have a direct impact on the brain and affect the hormones produced by it. But there are no rules and regulations to control them. Social media has been impacting our lives for the last 20 years, and as a society we have failed to pressure social media companies into setting safety standards. Everyone will have to think together about this.
