Social media health warnings are needed to alert parents to the “devastating impact” the platforms can have on children, a leading family psychotherapist has said.

Earlier this week, US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy called for social media platforms to carry health warnings to tackle a growing mental health crisis among young people.

He said the risk of a young person developing anxiety and depression doubles if they spend more than three hours on social media a day.

Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, family psychotherapist Dr Richard Hogan described Dr Murthy’s intervention as “very laudable”. 

“I think he’s taking a very proactive and progressive response to what is one of the greatest experiments perpetrated and carried out on our children,” Dr Hogan said. 

“I think parents have for too long been unaware of what the damages are here.” 

Children texting on their phones in the back seat. Picture by: Tetra Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Dr Hogan said the issue is not young people having access to technology but what he described as “endless technology” and what safeguards need to be put in place. 

“It’s not about getting rid of technology, it’s about parents understanding the damage that bringing this into your child’s life can do,” he said. 

“And that’s so important.” 

Social media apps on a smart phone.

Dr Hogan said unfettered access to social media is having a “devastating impact” on families he sees in his clinic and both parents and children need to change how they interact with technology. 

“We need really progressive digital literacy in schools as a matter of urgency,” he said. 

“We have to upskill parents, we have to bring in robust legislation, we have to stop our children consuming hardcore extreme material. 

“This is multifaceted; there’s no panacea to this, this labelling from the Surgeon General isn’t going to be a panacea, it’s not going to stop what’s happening but it’s going to wake parents up. 

“So, it’s a very commendable thing… because this is a trillion dollar industry and if you’re standing up against it, you’re going to get a lot of kickback.” 

Last month, a survey by Studyclix found that two-thirds of teenagers in Ireland do not have their access to social media restricted by their parents and 39% use their phones for more than four hours a day.

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Main image: Children play on a mobile phone. Picture by: Gregory Wrona / Alamy Stock Photo