SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - This week, the U.S. Surgeon General sounded a new warning about social media and screen time, and how they are impacting kids.
Dr. Vivek Murthy said he'd like to see a tobacco-style warning on social media apps. It's a stance that Dr. Willough Jenkins, a child psychiatrist from Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, wholeheartedly agrees with.
"Oh, I was so thankful," she says. "Social media is a topic that comes up with every single child that I'm working with. And I think we see it in a lot of different ways."
Rady is the only hospital in the region with Behavioral Health Urgent Care departmentfor children. Dr. Jenkins says they're seeing 40 or more kids every week.
She worries about what kids are missing out on because of the time they're on social media.
"Are they exercising? Are they having family time? Are they seeing friends? Are they picking up a new hobby? Do they have time to be bored? These are all things to talk to your child about," she says.
Each case is unique to each child, but Dr. Jenkins says there are some warning signs that screen time and social media is negatively impacting a child's mental health.
She points to three key indicators:
1. Is the child irritable when the screens are off
2. Does the child need a screen for calming or self-regulation
3. Does the child need a screen to help go to sleep
To see the full interview, watch the video above.
