Social media has become so dangerous for children that the city's health commissioner has urged parents to not give their children cell phones until they are at least 14 years old.
Pediatricians should also talk to parents and children about social media during checkups, said Ashwin Vasan, director of the New York Apple Health Committee.
“Young people who use social media are at increased risk of experiencing poor mental health conditions, including symptoms of depression and anxiety,” Vasan and Michelle Morse, the city's chief medical officer for health and mental hygiene, wrote in a September 5 letter to doctors and other health professionals.
“Parents and guardians are encouraged to delay giving their children smartphones or similar devices with social media access until age 14, and then reassess based on current evidence of harm and the child's strengths and needs,” the document said.
“As children begin traveling alone more in New York City, ask parents to provide their children with cell phones that do not have social media access,” the police document added.
Pediatricians should also talk to parents and children about the dangers of overexposure to smartphones and social media as part of a “family media plan” to curb or prevent use, according to the letter.
Governor Kathy Hawkle is pushing for a ban on smartphones in schools and is currently conducting a “listening tour” to explore how this could be achieved.
She and the state Legislature approved legislation in June that would give parents more control over social media use on apps like TikTok and Instagram.
In their letter, the city's top doctors cited statistics showing that depression among local young people is worse than it was a decade ago, and suggested social media addiction could be to blame.
In 2021, 38% of the city's high school students stopped participating in their usual activities because they felt very sad or hopeless in the previous year, compared with 27% in 2011, according to the city's Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
Obsession with death, or suicidal thoughts, increased by more than 34% between 2011 and 2021 among this group, the study found.
Social media use has become commonplace for many people: 54% of children, 93% of teenagers and 78% of parents use social media in some form, according to the Ministry of Health. Unique and special Report it on social media.
Kids who use social media are more likely to experience anxiety (16%) than kids who don't (12%).
Teens who use social media are more likely to experience anxiety (27%) and depression (14%) than those who don't (9% and 4%, respectively).
A recent study from the University of Michigan found that many adults feel more stressed after repeatedly checking their smartphones.
Some adults are obsessed with scrolling through their phones but are not good role models and are inconsiderate.
A Washington Post reporter at a gym in Queens on Saturday spotted three gym-goers sitting at tables lined with weight machines, heads bowed, staring at their phones, scrolling through them and slowing down their workouts.
The city's top doctors urged their colleagues to share resources with their patients, including the Department of Education's Digital Citizenship Curriculum for K-12 students, the Health Department's NYC Teen Space Mental Health Support Program for students ages 13 to 17, and the Health Department's parent guide, “Social Media and Youth Mental Health.”
