Children & The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health

Dr. Rebecca Berry joins CNN This Morning to discuss the impact of social media on mental health, in particular for children and adolescents. The U.S. Surgeon General warned about the “profound risk of harm” social media poses to children’s mental health. This segment explores how social media usage may impact kids’ mental well-being, including increased risks of depression, anxiety, poor sleep, online harassment, body image distortion, and low self-esteem.

Dr. Berry emphasizes the importance of parents and caregivers taking an active role in helping children navigate social media responsibly, learning how the children in your life are engaging with social media, and figuring out if it is placating or a form of coping with pre-existing feelings or mental health conditions. Modeling healthy engagement and creating a family media plan are some of the social media recommendations provided for families to mitigate negative impacts of social media on mental health.