Not just kids. Adults as well

Social media has poisoned humanity.

It’s not just young people. I find I struggle with getting addicted to social media when I’m stressed or isolated. I’m 41!

Adults are affected too and often aren't as disciplined as they think.

I encourage every young person I talk to to start despising social media and delete their aps. Social media is by far the deadliest psychological weapon ever deployed on mankind. The amount of harm it has created and continues to create is sickening.

I hate social media platforms it’s the devil in a screen

It makes people act like jerks not just online but spills into real life too

Omg.. finally. Mentally health issues, this is where a lot of it starts these days.

Social media is probably responsible for less dating,and social relationships.

I quit social media cold turkry this week. Came here for reinforcement. Thanks!

A suggestion for anyone that breaks away from social media, but still uses something like KZfaq: be careful, and keep an eye out for your mental health while using KZfaq. There are some people that have been able to get better/get out of an unhealthy addictive habit by just having KZfaq as their only social media (which, all power to them - anything that helps with getting out of unhealthy social media addiction/habits is a good thing). However, just because KZfaq can be a lesser-of-evils for some people doesn't mean it still isn't an evil for others. Source: I'm someone that struggles with KZfaq addiction issues, even when it's the only social media that I use the most.

I left Twitter and Facebook years ago and it was totally worth it. Social media is like sitting in a doctor's office reading one old People magazine after another. I like persons, but I'm not fond of people. Humans as pack animals is a disaster waiting to happen.

I'm 70 but it makes me angry arguing with other old people like me.

Social media promotes OCD and depression

I agree with him! Social media brings us closer but also separates us apart as we hardly talk to each other face to face making us feel more lonely and alone and it also makes most people egotistical, vain, conceited and narcissistic.

Social media should be labeled as an addiction and mental disease. It ruins potentially good people that could actually contribute to society it's truly sad TBH.

The problem isn’t connecting with others through social media, the problem is when that’s the only way someone connects with other people.

After my friend was stabbed to death; And, a woman whilst holding her two small children leapt off of a bridge -- I'm starting to take a good look at this topic. Both victims gave signs yet signs were ignored

SUPER IMPORTANT ISSUE!!

How many undiagnosed mentally ill person is online and induce more to be mentally ill as them?

I stole this from a Reddit post but I'll share it here "Social media is like an e-commerce store but instead of products people are selling their lives." they act happier than they are, they look better than they do and then it becomes keeping up with Joneses on a MASSIVE scale just horrible!

as a 40 year old i remember my life pre social media age and smartphone i would be happy to go back i deleted my facebook and insta not regretting it for a minute

I find it crazy how kids are allowed to use social media before they are old enough to either vote in an election or to take a driving test.

Just like mainstream news. Always stories that trigger, anger or depress you.

Wow who would’ve thought that?!

I agree it’s been so bad for all age ranges. Miserable people use it to cope with their feelings by attacking others online. It’s so unhealthy and even more concerning, is that people that behave like that aren’t even aware of their behaviour.

We are turning it off and getting back to real interactions and nature.

I’d like to take a time machine back to the 80s. Never needed social media and friendships were better. “ Id rather have 4 quarters than 100 Pennie’s”

I go on Google images and xxxx sites and bs popping up.

kids today have no chance with social media. its ruining their minds

Argument from authority (Surgeon General) doesn't help you understand anything. In fact, nothing I've read around this indicates he really understands this issue. Good and bad is way too simplistic a way to understand programmable technology, all these people sound like cave men astounded at a device making sound and showing moving images. It doesn't matter that they're dressed up in a suit on a network television show, what they're saying and the way they are talking betrays their ignorance on the subject. While statistics may be bad with teens, don't pretend that adults aren't affected. If adults are going to focus that way and not look at themselves the kids will just see the hypocrisy and lack of self awareness from parents and those older. Use REASON. You listen to or read someone like Jaron Lanier and they will give you some understanding like these platforms are basically a Skinner box. Someone who doesn't understand a thing but just point out it's bad/dangerous is just going to show up as empty and hollow. Combine that with the hypocrisy/self awareness issue and you have no real chance other than to resort to something like "it's my house" or something along the lines of "kids today .." folgey speech. Being humble and admitting you don't know everything but maybe putting in some work to ACTUALLY LEARN so you can actually talk intelligently about it will be a more realistic approach. BTW, Many THERAPISTS do NOT understand it, even those who have written about it. Lanier is a technologist.

“Staying connected” is an addicts excuse to stay on. You can stay connected to people in other ways.

Lol, you don't realize how bad something is for you until you go overboard . I only quit social media when I realized "oh shi, my mental health is actually kinda bad now lol"

He's RIGHT

and ADULTS

Of course it is It’s all comparing yourself to others And not everyone has same life

Come across atleast 50 US children dancing in their room while watching YT shorts. I always report it but a staggering amount of parents seem to not care at all

I’m Gen Z and I feel like im addicted to the News and Social Media. I end up listening to it sometimes in the background until 2-3 am, when I can’t sleep. It makes me angry, hearing about foreign wars 24/7, hearing about the crime, the war our government calls politics. It’s always them vs you. It makes me just feel never ending anger sometimes after watching. The constant arguments, never ending fighting just feels addicting and exhausting at the same time after a while. But you struggle to stop.

-- Sean Parker, founding President of Facebook, November 9, 2017 -- "When Facebook was getting going, I had these people who would come up to me and they would say, 'I'm not on social media.' And I would say, 'OK. You know, you will be.' And then they would say, 'No, no, no. I value my real-life interactions. I value the moment. I value presence. I value intimacy.' And I would say, ... 'We'll get you eventually.' "I don't know if I really understood the consequences of what I was saying, because [of] the unintended consequences of a network when it grows to a billion or 2 billion people and ... it literally changes your relationship with society, with each other ... It probably interferes with productivity in weird ways. God only knows what it's doing to our children's brains." "The thought process that went into building these applications, Facebook being the first of them, ... was all about: 'How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible?'" "And that means that we need to sort of give you a little dopamine hit every once in a while, because someone liked or commented on a photo or a post or whatever. And that's going to get you to contribute more content, and that's going to get you ... more likes and comments." "It's a social-validation feedback loop ... exactly the kind of thing that a hacker like myself would come up with, because you're exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology.""The inventors, creators - it's me, it's Mark [Zuckerberg], it's Kevin Systrom on Instagram, it's all of these people - understood this consciously. And we did it anyway." "Because I'm a billionaire, I'm going to have access to better health care so ... I'm going to be like 160 and I'm going to be part of this, like, class of immortal overlords. [Laughter] Because, you know the [Warren Buffett] expression about compound interest. ... [G]ive us billionaires an extra hundred years and you'll know what ... wealth disparity looks like." _________ -- Chamath Palihapitiya, VP for User Growth of Facebook 2007-2011, December 11, 2017 -- "It literally is a point now where I think we have created tools that are ripping apart the social fabric of how society works. The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops that we have created are destroying how society works: no civil discourse, no cooperation, misinformation, mistruth. And it's not an American problem. This is not about Russian ads. This is a global problem."

kids shouldn't be on social media. they should be out with their friends socializing. Same goes for adults. It doesn't keep you connected. It's just seeing people you barely know show off their highlight reel of their lives, or posting their own attention seeking behavior because at the end of the day we want real human connection, but we've become self centered stars in our own reality show that no one really cares to watch anymore.

Too late, General.

The end explaining the positive aspects like finding community is ironically part of the problem. If one negative, hate driven person finds like minds, then you have an army of negative hate filled people. I used to think maybe you can find some useful information on social media in the past but, now it all seems to be fake news, fear based or short attention grabbing snippets to shape your mind into an opinion. Also unless you put effort to meet the friends you make on social media, they’re not really friends, it’s just a surface layer bond with no support. All that said, I know we can shape social media to be the ideal tool for us in the future but, right now their motivation doesn’t seem to be for the good of their subscribers

Social validation

I think it would be banned for anyone who's not 21 years of age

These regulators needs to move quicker! I hope they give choices for users to customize their social media more for their mental health. For example. I want to stop seeing shorts in my youtube........ Give us the option to disable it! There are many more possibilities here. For instance. The only thing i wanna see recommended to me are the creators i sub to. There must be an option to not show random videos that would potentially make dig a deeper rabit hole.

Kids even still Adults

No 💩. The internet in general isn’t safe for kids. Back when parenting was important we weren’t allowed to watch R rated movies, swear, listen to parental advisory labeled music and there was consequences for our actions. Now kids have the internet which provides absolutely everything, parents are to blame. If you give a child access to the internet, that’s your fault. Kids are raised by social media, there’s no consequences, responsibility for the kids or the parents, kids even swear in front of or at their parents. Parents are to blame for these kids being on social media and all of the problems that have came from sensitivity. You can blame the phones and the platforms but the parents are at fault.

Timed to Disband Social Media nothing good Ever has come from Social Media

They have little zombie faces staring at phones even when there is so much happening around them b! It’s wild

💯🙏

Social media is what it is. Know it understand it. If you have a business and or a brand, social media is a way to further growth. Social media being a way to connect? Well that was lost about 10 years after Facebook's inception. If you feel you have an avenue to brand then social media is your bag. If you are on social media for social purposes then, you might want to use the pharmaceutical drug called Urbrain.

I'm starting to think that the adults are more delusional than the kids. Its a disease.

i personally think kids shouldnt be allowed to have a smart phone till they r 18. they should be only allowed a basic phone for emergency purpose. schools should make this a rule, that no smart phones r allowed in the premises. just like alcohol n marriage there should a legal age limit for smart phones use as well. who's with me on this?

I suffer from an illness and use social media to keep in touch with other sufferers of this illness. It’s a crucial contact as Drs and people in general don’t understand what this illness is like. We share and support each other and we’re world-wide. Yes, I dip in and out of other sites but am aware I need to get out in the fresh air and socialise with others.

Look at the hate comments they get

Took you long enough

Good call, Sherlock. Definitely not a long-term issue or anything.

It got 100 times worse when tik tok exploded.

The government is the number one cause for mental health issues😂

What crap! Kids have been going through tough stuff long before social media. Parents put a phone in their kids’ hands that they don’t need as a babysitter. There’s such a thing as an off switch. We blame social media for all sorts of things. One thing though. No one forces you on it. Parents can say no. Oh you want a smart phone to get on social media? Great! You get a job so you can pay for the phone and your internet bill. Bet that’d put a damper and things!

He's shameless to believe people give two craps about his label suggestions.

I say kids should wait until high school until they are allowed to use social media because at that point they should be mature enough to use it responsibly. Or if the government wanted to they could make it illegal to use social media until the kids are of legal voting age because if kids are old enough to vote they are old enough to use social media responsibly as well.

Mr. Surgeon General 10 years too late lol

How come every time I see this guy he looks like hes made by AI 🤔

Everybody are on modern day Heroin!!!!! Just ban computers!!!!

Gun control couldn't hurt too

social media has nothing to do with causing mental health problems. i recently had suicidal depression and it was the worst pain imaginable and was caused entirely by diet. blaming it on social media is making depression seem like a joke rather than a serious problem. this surgeon general just wants attention and doesnt care about the health of the youth. if anything, social media reduced violence because people can yell at each other online rather than in person.

This guy is the worst. He STILL advocates keeping children in masks, which is FAR more damaging to a kid's mental and physical health than social media. He's like an arsonist complaining about the lack of fire safety.

You’re literally just now figuring this out? Ugh fire this man immediately

They need to start charging a monthly fee they wouldn’t be so big

To quote Lady Gaga: SOCIAL MEDIA is the toilet of the internet!!!!

Social media has done more harm than good to humanity.