The United States Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, has recently expressed his concern about the use of social media by children aged 13 and under. He believes that these young people are in a battle they cannot win against powerful companies whose sole aim is to maximize their profits.
Murthy states that he worries about how easily accessible social media is for kids of this age group; it can be accessed with just a few clicks on any device. This means that even if parents try to limit access at home, there’s no guarantee their children won’t find ways around it elsewhere. He also points out the potential dangers associated with using such platforms – cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and online predators being among them – as well as its effect on mental health due to comparison issues or lack of sleep caused by overuse.
For this reason, Murthy urges parents not only to monitor what their kids do online but also to discuss openly why certain sites should be avoided altogether until they reach an older age when they have better judgment skills and more experience dealing with situations like these. In addition, he suggests finding alternative activities which will keep them busy while helping them develop healthy habits from an early age instead of relying solely on technology for entertainment.
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