'Crisis of Our Time'

In a recent article in Education Week on student well-being, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy points to social media as the major contributing factor in the surge in children's mental health challenges, and describes their declining mental health as the 'Crisis of Our Time.'

​Self-regulation of social media use is a learned skill that has to be mindfully practiced. As a college advisor working with high school students, I'm experiencing more of my students making a conscious decision to set aside their social media, attending to it less, and trying to take a more objective view of what is available on social media.

Just last night, a high school junior told me that she feels more positive about herself because she's decided not to be on social media very often. She told me that she realized she was wasting so much time and that she's happier when she uses her time in other ways. She also said that she feels it was toxic to her to be always looking at other people's achievements. She referred to it as being "filtered" and never showing anything negative or any true feelings. I love that she's able to separate herself and her experiences from what is portrayed on social media.