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The Mental Health Coalition to Establish First-Ever Online Safety Standards for Youth

The Mental Health Coalition (MHC) announced today it will partner with preeminent global authorities on mental health to develop social media standards for youth ages 13-24, the first of their kind. The effort is designed to help ensure “safer and more responsible online engagement (including media platforms, gaming, social media, search and others) for youth.”

Earlier this year, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy put out an advisory – an urgent public warning – on the dangerous effects of social media on young people’s mental health, calling on policy makers to collaborate with many stakeholders to ensure the health and safety of the next generation. This initiative is designed to answer that call, according to Kenneth Cole, activist and founder of MHC.

Dr. Dan Reidenberg, an internationally recognized expert in suicide prevention, added, “As the CDC reports, this is a critical moment. We urgently need to address the mental health and well-being crises being imposed upon our youth.”

Excerpts from the Mental Health Coalition’s press release are copied directly here:

The Organization

“The Mental Health Coalition (www.thementalhealthcoalition.org), is a coalition of the Nation’s leading mental health organizations, brands, and individuals who have joined forces to end the debilitating stigma surrounding mental health and to change the way people talk about, and care for, mental illness. Our mission is to catalyze like-minded communities to work together to destigmatize mental health and empower access to vital resources and necessary support for all.”

“The Mental Health Coalition was formed with the understanding that the mental health crisis is fueled by a pervasive and devastating stigma, preventing millions of individuals from being able to seek the critical treatment they need. We will not relent until mental health is no longer associated with stigma, shame or judgment and all people feel empowered to openly discuss and address their individual mental health needs.”

Key Data Points About Social Media and Young People

  • 90% of teens 13-17 use or have used social media (AACAP)
  • Nearly 1 in 3 young teen girls admitted to seriously considering suicide in 2021 – up nearly 60% from a decade ago (SAMSHA)
  • 86% of young people said that social media negatively impacted their happiness, with 83% saying it contributed to their anxiety (Express VPN)
  • A majority of parents of adolescents say they are somewhat, very, or extremely worried that their child’s use of social media could lead to problems with anxiety or depression (53%), lower self-esteem (54%), being harassed or bullied by others (54%), feeling pressured to act a certain way (59%), and exposure to explicit content (71%), according to Gelles-Watnick, R. (2022)

The Initiative: S.O.S. – The Answer to a Safer Online Experience for Kids

“The Mental Health Coalition (MHC) is on a multi-year journey to positively transform youth mental health in the digital space. The standards will be developed, tested and reviewed by a steering committee and expert advisors across the mental health field with input from many diverse groups of users including youth, parents, people with lived experience and mental health organizations.”

“We have had a rating system for films for over 50 years. Similar guidance for social media is long overdue,” said Tom Insel, MD, former Director of the National Institute of Mental Health.

“S.O.S. standards will provide guidance via an easy to understand and recognize rating system.  The system will provide the public with credible information on platform safety, align technology companies with standards that provide for a healthier, safer user experience and help teens and young adults develop and enhance digital literacy skills.”

Read the full press release here.

Learn more about The Mental Health Coalition and S.O.S. Initiative here.