BOSTON (WHDH) - U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and Sen. Ed Markey were in Boston on Monday, speaking at a Youth Mental Health Summit at Boston University.
In their remarks, the two addressed the impact of social media on young minds while calling on big tech companies to make changes.
“We put the weight of the world on the shoulders of our young people and it is making them sick,” Markey said.
“It’s not just a general responsibility, it’s a moral responsibility to take care of our kids,” Murthy said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in three high school girls contemplated suicide in 2021, up 60% from a decade ago. For LGBTQ youth, one in five individuals attempted suicide.
Social media, Markey said, plays a role in declining mental health.
“Social disconnection, isolation, insecurity, self esteem — to put it plainly, big tech is a big problem,” he said.
Both Murthy and Markey have called for more safety regulations for social media companies.
Murthy added that mental health is a multifaceted problem, citing the roles climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and gun violence play on America’s youth.
“Gun violence has now become the number one cause of death among young people,” he said. “That trauma is profound and can last for years.”
Together, Murthy and Markey said improving young people’s mental health is a challenge. But it needs to remain a priority.
“I want our children to be able to grow up in a world where if they need care they can get it and they can get it quickly, where they don’t feel ashamed to ask for help,” Murthy said.
“If we are asking them to be resilient and work for a better tomorrow, then we must give them the tools to do it,” Markey said.
Murthy and Markey also stressed that mental health initiatives need more funding and resources to help struggling youth.
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