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Re: “U.S. top doc warns about social media risks” [May 24, Nation & World]: The surgeon common’s warning about social media is welcome and well timed. The content material, challenges to privateness, and intentionally addictive design of social media can lead teenagers to hurt. However we threat making social media a handy scapegoat for a psychological well being disaster that has deeper however equally actionable roots.
Sharply rising revenue disparities put huge strains on households and make greater schooling attainable solely by means of staggering debt. Teenagers would possibly declare that the risks of social media are small relative to gun violence of their college or the place they store. Shaming rhetoric makes it harmful to have fun and wrestle with rising gender identification and sexual orientation. The opiate epidemic destroyed households and legalization opened the market to cannabinoids of unprecedented and harmful efficiency. The record of dangers to teen psychological well being might go on; and what’s extra, at present’s teenagers have been born throughout or across the nice recession of 2008.
If we imagine the affect of early childhood adversity on lifetime bodily and psychological well being dangers, then lots of at present’s teenagers are experiencing a “second hit” on prime of current vulnerability. So, work for rational use of social media however battle to scale back the underlying challenges that social media amplifies.
Larry Wissow, Seattle, MD
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