US Surgeon General Warns of Dangers of Social Media for Youth

A top US health official has warned that social media may cause "very harmful effects" on the mental health of children and adolescents, AFP reported.

In a 19-page advisory, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called out to tech companies for failing to protect adolescents and urged families to set limits and governments to set tougher standards for use.

"We are going through a national crisis regarding the mental health of young people, and I fear that social media will be a major driver of this crisis, which is something that we must address urgently," he said.

Murthy pointed out that all young people can be exposed to "dangerous" content that shows acts of violence or sexual acts. 

He noted that more studies are needed "to better understand the effects of social media" on young people, but he mentioned that "a lot of evidence" proves that these networks can have negative consequences.