Document Type
Report
Publication Date
Summer 7-23-2023
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Disciplines
Communication | Communication Technology and New Media | Health Communication | Social Media
Abstract
The United States Surgeon General issued an Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health on May 23 2023. Warnings by the Surgeon General are infrequent, but have the potential to influence the course of history. This survey captures awareness of and reaction to the Advisory. The survey finds that respondents are already convinced that social media influences young people, mostly negatively. The Surgeon General remains a meaningful public health communicator, with substantial reach and some power to influence both beliefs and behaviors. There is widespread agreement that more research is needed to better understand how social media impact youth mental health, and some faith that the Surgeon General’s recommended actions for policymakers, technology companies, parents, youth and researchers could make a difference if they were implemented.
Digital USD Citation
Stern, Susannah, "Reactions to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media & Youth Mental Health" (2023). Communication Studies: Faculty Scholarship. 3.
https://digital.sandiego.edu/commstudies_facpub/3
Included in
Communication Technology and New Media Commons, Health Communication Commons, Social Media Commons