There's a new warning about social media dangers for users your age. A top federal health official, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, cites potential drawbacks of sites like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube. While they benefit some students, Dr. Murthy writes in a recent report, "there are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents."

His 19-page advisory calls on tech companies to enforce minimum age limits and create default settings for children with high safety and privacy standards. (Instagram already makes the accounts of people under 16 private and limits content that teens can see.) At the family level, the surgeon general urges parents to set limits – such as no devices at mealtimes to help build social bonds and promote conversation. He suggests a "family media plan" to set boundaries around content and keeping personal information private.

Up to 95 percent of teens say they use at least one social media platform, according to 2022 survey results from Pew Research, while more than one-third said they used social media "almost constantly." Teens spend an average of 3½ hours a day on social sites. At their best, the popular platforms let you connect with others, find community and express yourself. "This can be especially true for marginalized youths, including those in the LGBTQ+ community," Dr. Murthy writes in The Washington Post.

But as use has risen, so have adolescent cases of anxiety and depression, along with hospital visits for self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Social platforms have lots of bullying and "extreme, inappropriate and harmful content," says the government report, including posts about self-harm, eating disorders and other destructive behavior. The American Psychological Association last month issued its first social media guidance, recommending that parents closely monitor teens' use.

Surgeon general says: "We're in the middle of a youth mental health crisis, and I'm concerned that social media is contributing to the harm that kids are experiencing." – Dr. Vivek Murthy

His report says: "In early adolescence, when identities and sense of self-worth are forming, brain development is especially susceptible to social pressures, peer opinions and peer comparison."

State actions: Utah and Arkansas this year banned social media services from enrolling users under 18 without consent of a parent or guardian.