Thread by @APA

Welcome back to the #APA2022 Main Stage for "The Kids Are Not Alright", a conversation about America's youth mental health crisis. We'll be getting started in just a few moments.

"The last couple of years have strained people in a way they haven't felt before. The need for mental health care has never been more acute."—@Surgeon_General #APA2022

Kids tell me again and again that they were struggling before the pandemic and the pressure of being on social media is overwhelming.—@Surgeon_General #APA2022

If we don't rebuild this foundation for well-being in America, we're not gonna do well. It's far past time that we invest in this space.—@Surgeon_General #APA2022

The most common question I get from parents about mental health: "Is social media hurting my child?—@Surgeon_General #APA2022

Nearly half of high school students, at a time when they should be looking forward, are feeling sad and hopeless.—@Surgeon_General #APA2022

We have built a model of success, that we are having young people chase, that does not confer happiness or healthy relationships. Young people are asking "Is the future really brighter?"—@Surgeon_General #APA2022

As human beings, we are designed to connect with one another. Even when we get that connection in small doses, it makes us feel better.—@Surgeon_General #APA2022

Getting through mental health struggles on your own is not a badge of honor. It's okay to ask for help. Our mental health is no less important than our physical health.—@Surgeon_General #APA2022

When people struggle with loneliness, it actually chips away at their sense of self. Service helps to shortcut that. When we serve other people, we don't just build a connection, we feel valued in the world.—@Surgeon_General #APA2022

One way that we can honor the people we lost, and the people who were harmed during this pandemic, is to make our lives better as a result of everything that we went through.—@Surgeon_General #APA2022

“What can Congress do to help meet the unmet mental health needs of children and teens?”—Senator @amyklobuchar

@Surgeon_General: We’ve got to bring care to where people are, preserve telehealth access, strengthen parity law. #APA2022

Research shows that returning to our core values can improve health. Having a growth mindset can get you very far.—@GeoffCohen #APA2022

Teachers say we are competing with phones...I ask "Why are we competing? Why aren't we swimming with the current?"—@DrDeLeonGray #APA2022

We are fragmented by many forces, but we can take little steps in our everyday interactions to foster connections. Little things over time can lead to huge benefits.—@GeoffCohen #APA2022

One thing we can do is spend time in our communities and let that be a form of literacy that can inform our research.—@DrDeLeonGray #APA2022

The truth is we still don't really know the effects of social media. We hear a lot of fears about what might be happening, we need to drill down on what is actually happening.—@candice_odgers #APA2022

Social media has created a new social context we might not be built for. It's certainly not something as parents that we are prepared to contend with because it's not how we grew up.—@mitchprinstein #APA2022

Kids are actually seeking help for mental health problems online, and they are not finding the solutions.—@candice_odgers #APA2022

In a given week, kids spend more time in digital spaces than in school. It's not enough for these spaces to just be "not harmful".—@candice_odgers #APA2022

It's hard to get kids to focus on anything, but they will stay on TikTok for ten hours. Imagine if these platforms and algorithms were used for good.—@mitchprinstein #APA2022

@soledadobrien: Do children of color experience trauma differently?

@DrMaysaAkbar: We often think of crisis as the catalyst event, and we overlook the constant drip of being exposed to trauma. We need to pay attention to this, especially in communities of color. #APA2022

Parents need to know that they are an incredibly important support for children. Sometimes they don't have the language...APA and our partners can help.—@DrMaysaAkbar #APA2022

Thank you for joining us for today's main stage session. We'll be back at 4 PM CT for "Reproductive Justice in the Wake of the U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Roe v. Wade".