U.S. Surgeon General warns of negative impact social media has on mental health of teens …

(CNN) — The U.S. Surgeon General is once again warning of the impacts of social media on mental health, especially among teens and young adults. The current surgeon general joined all six of his predecessors for a special discussion on the matter at Dartmouth College. Even as the country has spent more on healthcare than ever before, our mental health has been steadily and sadly declining for two decades now. When the pandemic hit, its impact would extend far beyond physical health. The virus, the isolation, the loss of loved ones—it was like throwing gas onto an already roaring flame. “I’m so concerned about our children, because there is an epidemic, if you will, of mental health challenges that they’ve been facing,” said Dr. Vivek Nurthy, the current U.S. Surgeon General. Gov. Spencer Cox addresses mental health problems caused by social media towards teenagers The latest numbers show about 42% of high schoolers say they constantly feel sad or hopeless, which is up more than 50% from 1999. A recent survey found that more than 40% of undergrads have considered dropping out, largely because of mental health and emotional stress. 41% of undergrads reported overall depression and 14% reported suicidal
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