New York City is the first city to issue an advisory officially designating social media as an environmental toxin.
Last week its Department of Health & Mental Hygiene urged parents and caregivers to delay giving children access to a smartphone or social media until at least the age of 14.
It said its advisory was in response to the danger social media poses to the mental health of young people, identifying unrestricted access to and use of social media as a public health hazard, reports Axios.
Federal and state policymakers were also urged to expand on legislative proposals that protect youth from “predatory practices by social media companies”, which are increasingly being blamed for historically high rates of depression, suicidality and other mental health issues among youngsters.
States and local governments, as a result, are increasingly pursuing legislation and legal action.
The advisory urged all New Yorkers to “advocate to hold social media companies accountable and advance reform that protects youth from harmful and predatory practices”.
Last year, a Pew Research Centre report found that one in five teens are on YouTube or TikTok “almost constantly”, the results painting a picture of a rising generation whose lives are dominated by a handful of social platforms – amid ongoing debate over the possible mental health harms that could result.
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Axios article – NYC first to designate social media as environmental toxin (Open access)
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