The state of Utah has launched an ad blitz warning parents of the harms social media platforms may be causing youth.
The campaign by Governor Spencer Cox's Office of Families, the Utah Department of Health & Human Services and the Utah Department of Commerce includes 30-second commercials featuring children wearing masks as they doomscroll on apps and endure hurtful comments while a narrator warns that children may put on a brave face, but they're being served up content that can impact their mental health.
It encourages people to get offline and make in-person connections.
The ads are appearing on TV, billboards and, ironically, social media platforms themselves.
Aimee Winder Newton, Senior Advisor and Director of Office of Famlies, says we are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis. Rates of mental health issues among young have increased over the past two decades, correlating strongly with access to and use of social media.
Screen time is also affecting our children's sleep patterns. On a typical weekday, nearly 1 in 3 adolescents report using screen media until midnight or later.
Technology use within one hour of bedtime, and social media use in particular, is associated with sleep disruptions and attention problems.
Winder says young adults who use social media are three times as likely to suffer from depression.
She gave us some things parents can do to help. Winder suggests to create a family media plan with expectations of when and how to use technology and social media.
Have open and honest discussions with your child about the harms of social media and spending time online.
You may even want to reconsider allowing your child to have social media. Or at least make time to connect with your child device-free.
You can learn more at socialharms.utah.gov.
