THERE is a scene within the 2020 documentary The Social Dilemma that has stayed with me. A tear rolls down a woman’s face as she appraises herself within the mirror, her disappointment a results of dangerous physique picture comparisons rife on social media. The dramatic recreation depicts simply one of many potential harms highlighted in a current US Surgeon General’s Advisory on social media use and youth psychological well being.
The advisory, a report “reserved for significant public health challenges that require the nation’s immediate awareness and action”, summarises among the “ample indicators” that social media can pose a “profound threat of hurt to the psychological …
Source: www.newscientist.com