The Governor's Harms of Social Media on Youth campaign has been running since the summer.
It's an education campaign aimed at parents to let them know that social media poses a real threat to our children's mental health.
Dr. Kristin Francis, MD, with the Huntsman Mental Health Institute, joined us to talk about some of those harms, and what parents can do to help.
She says social media can make kids have a fear of missing out, they could be bullied and it affects the development of their adolescent brains.
She says nearly all studies find a significant correlation between heavy social media use (3-4 hours a day) and mood disorders.
According to a study from the University of Utah, young adults who use social media are three times as likely to suffer from depression, putting a large portion of the population at risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
In Utah, nearly 80 percent of youth spend 2 or more hours per school day on an electronic device (not counting school).
17.6 percent of youth in Utah seriously considered attempting suicide. It's important to note that youth have the lowest rates of suicide among all ages. Youth are resilient and can overcome mental health struggles with the right support, treatment, and resources.
Dr. Francis says when teens get off social media, there are so many other things that they can do including getting outside, developing hobbies and even getting enough sleep.
There are recent studies, the powerful ad campaign, a presentation for parents and leaders to download and use to generate conversations with their kids and more at socialharms.utah.gov.
