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Murthy Says Social Media Hurting Kids, Time for Government, Tech Firms to Help

Oct 2023 🇺🇸 Harvard Graduate School of Education — Askwith Education Forum / Center for Digital Thriving

Speaking at the October 2023 launch of Harvard Graduate School of Education's Center for Digital Thriving, in a conversation hosted by the Askwith Education Forum, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy described social media's effect on adolescent well-being as 'a pivotal issue in public health' and said 'we have fallen short when it comes to taking care of kids with regard to social media and safeguarding them against harms.' He argued responsibility should not fall on parents alone, drawing a comparison to auto-safety regulation, and called for enforceable design standards alongside individual measures such as tech-free family time, digital literacy education, and encouraging teens to self-regulate use and block harmful content. TechKids Foundation cites this appearance as a direct record of Murthy connecting his federal advisory to an academic initiative aimed at translating the concern into practical school and family guidance.

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"Murthy Says Social Media Hurting Kids, Time for Government, Tech Firms to Help." Harvard Gazette, October 16, 2023 [reporting remarks by Vivek Murthy at the Center for Digital Thriving launch event, Harvard Graduate School of Education].

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