The public health datastory behind the congressional hearing yesterday.

KATELYN JETELINA

FEB 1, 2024

Public health touches all aspects of our lives, not just during a pandemic and not just with infectious diseases. Thanks to your feedback, this newsletter will continue with Covid-19 updates and address other public health topics, like mental health. To choose what topics land in your inbox, click HERE.

Strong bipartisan statements came out of a congressional hearing yesterday about the harms of social media use among children and teens. Parents of kids harmed by social media showed up in immense force.

“You have blood on your hands.”— Sen. Lindsey Graham to five social media CEOs.

“I’m sorry for everything you have all been through.”— Mark Zuckerberg to parents in the audience.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks directly to audience members of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the dangers of child sexual exploitation on social media. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Is social media dangerous for children and teens? And, if so, what are our options?

Here is the nuanced public health data that (hopefully) congressmen/women are using to (hopefully) make meaningful and needed change. But, as we know by now, policy isn’t always based on science.

Note: The below was published 8 months ago, and some things have changed since. We bolded the changes to bring you along for the ride. As a parent, I still root for Option #4.

Love, YLE

YLE MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health and social media among teens
KATELYN JETELINA AND JACQUELINE NESI, PHD
·
MAY 18, 2023
Mental health and social media among teens
Protecting youth from the potential negative mental health effects of social media is front and center in the mass media, in conversations around dinner tables, and in federal- and state-level bills.

Is the teen mental health crisis a real thing? [yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com]

“Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE)” is written by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, M.P.H. Ph.D.—an epidemiologist, wife, and mom of two little girls. During the day, she is a senior scientific consultant to several organizations, including CDC. At night, she writes this newsletter. Her main goal is to “translate” the ever-evolving public health world so that people will be well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. This newsletter is free, thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members.