Simone Rotella
THERE is a scene in the 2020 documentary The Social Dilemma that has stayed with me. A tear rolls down a girl’s face as she appraises herself in the mirror, her sadness a result of harmful body image comparisons rife on social media. The dramatic recreation depicts just one of the potential harms highlighted in a recent US Surgeon General’s Advisory on social media use and youth mental health.
The advisory, a report “reserved for significant public health challenges that require the nation’s immediate awareness and action”, summarises some of the “ample indicators” that social media can pose a “profound risk of harm to the mental…
