Social media risks for children | Talk of Alaska

Sen. Dan Sullivan and U.S. Surgen General Vivek Murthy sit at a table.
US Sen. Dan Sullivan (left) and US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy speak at a roundtable in Anchorage addressing youth mental health in Alaska. (Rachel Cassandra/Alaska Public Media)

Social media can be fun. But it can also be dangerous, especially for children and teenagers. A U.S. surgeon general report found significant
links between teen social media use, eating disorders and body dissatisfaction, especially for teen girls. But a bill that would have 
banned Alaskans under the age of 14 from social media stalled in the legislature. What controls are appropriate for parents and what do young people think about it? We’ll ask on the next Talk of Alaska.

HOST: Lori Townsend

GUESTS:

  • Rep. Andrew Gray (D-Anchorage) – drafted a three-page social media ban for children under 14 modeled after Florida law
  • Jen Gessert – Therapist specializing in technology addiction
  • Grace Fujimoto – King Tech School Student

PARTICIPATE:

Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast

Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (comments may be read on air)

Post your comment before, during or after the live broadcast (comments may be read on air).

LIVE Broadcast: Tuesday, June 18, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. on APRN stations statewide.

Lori Townsend is the news director and senior host for Alaska Public Media. You can send her news tips and program ideas for Talk of Alaska and Alaska Insight at ltownsend@alaskapublic.org or call 907-550-8452.

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