Surgeon General Warning on Teens and Social Media
Have you heard about a new documentary series on Hulu and FX called Social Studies? It chronicles the lives of teens throughout a school year with a focus on the impact of social media. The teens allowed the filmmakers access to their phone and social media records, resulting in an open view of their issues: cyberbullying, body image issues, relationships, inappropriate messages, mental health struggles, and more. One teen described social media as “a lifeline and a loaded gun “. The filmmaker provides a parent guide (see resources below) to help parents navigate this issue.
The documentary is being released as the Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has issued a new advisory about the impact of social media on teen mental health. Over 95% of teen 13-17 use a social media platform, some say almost constantly. Teens report a variety of benefits from social media including making them feel accepted, providing an outlet for creativity, a chance to stay connected with their friends, and expanding the universe of people who might be supportive to them.
However, there are many risks to excessive use of social media as well, which teens are using well over 3 hours per day (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, May 2023). This age group is at a critical point in the development of their brains, and this may make them highly vulnerable to these risks. Dr. Murthy notes that social media exposes teens to harmful content, takes away face to face time with family and friends, and compromises sleep and eating patterns. Below is a list of some specific issues Dr. Murthy highlighted:
- Social media may increase body image issues. Teens are comparing themselves, and perhaps sharing disordered eating behaviors.
- Over 60% of teens report exposure to hate-based content. This includes cyberbullying, shaming, and starting arguments on the social media platforms.
- Social media use has been associated with both depression and sleep difficulties from disrupted sleeping and poor sleeping habits.
Dr. Murthy’s Advisory Council says that we need more research to know the full impact of social media on our teens. Meanwhile, the counsel recommends that technology companies be as transparent as possible in designing privacy policies, age minimums, and responses to complaints. Policy makers should fund research and strengthen standards that protect privacy rights. The advisory recommends that research groups provide all of us with the latest research on this issue.
Parents, as the most important person for your teen, we need you the most. Here are some tips for you:
- Monitor teen online behavior.
- Teach appropriate online behavior including forbidding cyberbullying, and monitoring what your teen is posting for appropriateness. In the student services department here at H. E. Lackey, we can tell you that many arguments begin and are maintained on social media. Please try to monitor this and notify staff when appropriate.
- Provide tech-free times and limit use of social media, particularly at night.
- Model appropriate social media use in your home.
Social media is here to stay, but family engagement on this issue is one of the most important ways we can keep our teens safe.
Resources: https://www.learner.org/series/social-studies-parent-resources/ https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/05/23.
As always, if you need to reach me, please call me at the school, 301-753-1753.
Beverly C. Hoy, Ph.D., NCSP
Below are step-by-step instructions:
- Go to www.jostens.com
- Click "Graduation"
- Under "High School," choose "Caps & Gowns"
- Click "Get Grad Package"
- Scroll down and click "Cap & Gown Unit"
- Click "Shop All Graduation Products"
- Scroll down to "Cap and Gown Unit"
- Select your student's "Height," "Weight," "Gender"
- Decline ("No Thanks") everything else (tassel, etc.)
- Go to cart
- Complete the info (name, email) and check out
- You will receive a receipt for $0
If you have any questions, please contact our Jostens Representative, Karen Stewart. She would love to hear from you! Email: karen.stewart@jostens.com Office: (301) 206-3999
Senior Class Trip to Busch Gardens
On Friday, May 16, all eligible seniors and graduating juniors are invited to attend our Class of 2025 trip to Busch Gardens, Virginia. We will leave from the school via charter buses at around 8 am and return to the Lackey parking lot at around 11 pm. In addition to a ride-all-day ticket, students will also enjoy an all-you-care-to-eat dinner in Germany. The deposit for the trip is $50. We will let you know the balance due in March/April, after we see how much we earn from our remaining fundraisers. On a related note, please plan to support all upcoming Class of 2025 fundraisers so we can keep the cost for Busch Gardens as close to the $50 deposit as possible.
School Picture Make-up Day
Our School Picture Make-up Day for grades 9, 10 and 11 is Wednesday October 23. Pictures will only be taken in the morning. If you are an AM Stethem student, and need a picture or a retake, you will take yours when you return. If you ordered pictures and need a retake, please be sure to bring the original pictures with you. If you would like to order pictures please visit MyLifetouch and use Picture Day ID EVT232CXS.
