US Surgeon General Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy told NDTV today that there is a direct link between social media use and mental health, especially among teenagers. He said that his office has also issued an advisory in this regard, appealing for greater attention to this extremely worrying issue.
The US Surgeon General is the doctor for the entire United States. The Surgeon General is consulted by the President of the United States on all public health issues and health emergencies. It is one of the highest positions in the US and is responsible for America’s overall healthcare system, new technology in the field, and scientific advancements in medicine.
The current Surgeon General, Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy today spoke exclusively to NDTV on a range of issues, including the growing mental health crisis globally and how social media impacts it.
“Our children need to be protected,” the surgeon general said, adding that “prioritizing mental health is a priority for him and his department.” “Many countries are grappling with a mental health crisis, with depression, anxiety and tragically high rates of suicide,” he said.
‘stigma’
Vice Admiral Murthy explained that his advice is aimed at focusing on “the stigma around mental health”, which he says “makes it harder for patients to talk about it with their families at home, And their struggle becomes harder because often they can’t ask for the help they need.”
As increasing numbers of young adults globally struggle with mental health problems, the United States’ top doctor said, “Fundamentally what we have to do is look at mental health – it’s part of our overall health, And mental health is as important to a person as his physical health, and it should be treated with the same urgency and priority it deserves.”
‘Generational differences, community perspective’
“Older generations are not always used to talking about mental health issues,” the surgeon general said, acknowledging that “different generations view mental health differently, as do different “Separate communities do.”
“Although older generations don’t talk about it openly, younger generations are much more open and sensitive to mental health challenges,” she said.
Speaking about cultural views on mental health and the stigma associated with it, Vice Admiral Murthy said, “We see a lot of cultural differences when it comes to looking at mental health issues. My family is originally from India , and the Indian-American community where I grew up, we never talked about mental health issues, in fact, it was something that was seen as a source of shame.”
Citing her own experience of stigmatizing mental health challenges, she said, “I had an uncle who unfortunately lost his life due to suicide. I remember there was a sense of shame in the entire family that something like this had happened. Something like this happened.” There is a lot of worry about telling other people what happened because of what the family will think. “This kind of stigmatizes and sends a message to people both young and old that it’s not okay to talk about these issues.”
“We need to change this. My goal is for a day where we can talk about the mental health issues we face as easily as we can about a sprained ankle or heart disease. We can talk about it as openly as we can.” He said.
‘The building blocks of a fulfilling life’
Young people are under a lot of pressure and stress to perform well in life, the top doctor said, and so, I asked several young adults what success meant to them.
“We need to ask ourselves what we are doing to define success for youth to help them live a fulfilling life. When I talked to youth in America, many of them said that They feel that the definition of success depends largely on ‘how much money you make’, ‘how much fame you can achieve’, and ‘how much fame you can achieve’. ‘How much power can we achieve’ – and while there is nothing wrong with wanting to accumulate power, fortune and wealth and fame, if we think that this is what will lead to long-term satisfaction, then unfortunately life’s experiences and challenges can lead us to Makes you feel it in a way,” he said.
“So, if we really want our kids to be truly and deeply satisfied, what we need to think about increasingly is this – how can we help them build a life that has meaning.” But be focused on purpose, on service, and on community – because these are the building blocks of the fulfillment we all ultimately want for our children,” he explained.
Essential components to manage stress
Speaking on the issue of stress and pressure being faced by young persons, Vice Admiral Murthy said, “We need to look and understand where the pressure on our children is coming from. We need to create an environment to reduce them and Also needs to be managed.” That our children are growing up in a more hospitable and welcoming environment.”
Clarifying his statement, he said, “One thing we know is that it’s much easier to deal with pressure – it’s much easier to deal with stress in general, when we have social support around us. That’s why “That these issues of loneliness and isolation have become a widespread epidemic is a serious problem in the United States and around the world.”
Suicide – the deepest pain, a global epidemic
Speaking about the ever-increasing suicide rates globally, the Surgeon General said, “Suicide is one of the most traumatic consequences of the widespread mental health challenges we face today. Thought is the deepest pain.” Any parent has to deal with that.”
He further noted that “deaths by suicide have increased significantly around the world over the past two decades.” He says this is for several reasons:
- Loneliness has become a serious issue among children. It affects the entire population, but is affecting the youth the most. It is now a worldwide epidemic.
- Impact of violence and fear of violence – More than 50 percent of children in America are now afraid of a school shooting.
- Negative News and Mobile Phones – Most of the children today own or have smartphones that are constantly filled with negative and violent headlines, making them feel that their life and future is bleak as nothing positive is happening around the world.
- Most of all, technology and social media – kids are spending more than 3 hours a day on social media, on average. By doing this they double the risk of depression and anxiety. This is one of the many reasons why we need to pay attention to the disadvantages of social media.
‘We have failed as a society’
Social media algorithms are what make these platforms so addictive. These algorithms have a direct impact on the brain and the hormones it secretes. But there are no laws to keep these algorithms under control. While smoking or drinking alcohol also have their own laws that do not pose a risk to the public, social media firms have no rules that prevent them from using their algorithms indiscriminately.
Elaborating on the challenges faced in dealing with the harms of social media, the Surgeon General said, “For the last 20 years that social media has existed, we as a society have largely failed to ensure that “We require social media companies to meet security standards.”
Giving the example of cars, Vice Admiral Murthy said, “Cars have a basic level of safety and standards. These standards ensure that the brakes are working, the seat belts and the engine are in good condition, the frame of the car is fine. ” It protects the occupants of the vehicle, but we don’t have anything in place now, especially in America, when it comes to checks and balances on social media, especially to protect children from its harmful effects. There are no safety standards.
He said, “The entire burden of checks and balances for social media is squarely on children and parents. This is not only unfair, but also ineffective, and we can see how that is manifesting itself today. “
