Warning about social media use among children

The U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, recently issued an advisory about the harmful effects of social media use among children and teens, including depression, anxiety and sleep problems. He said there’s not enough evidence to show social media use is safe, and that in fact there’s growing evidence that it negatively impacts mental health.

As he noted in his statement: “Children are exposed to harmful content on social media, ranging from violent and sexual content, to bullying and harassment. And for too many children, social media use is compromising their sleep and valuable in-person time with family and friends” (May 23, 2023). This comes after a recent study found that 95 percent of teens use social media, with the average teen spending two hours a day on it.

Indeed, the trend of increasing mental health problems has been worst among teen girls, with the Covid lockdowns exacerbating matters. The results of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this April, showed a marked rise among female high school students contemplating suicide (“One-Third of Teen Girls in US Seriously Considered Attempting Suicide in 2021: CDC,” ABC News, April 27, 2023).

But the problem was already there—the number being nearly a quarter in 2019. As one analysis notes, “It is now widely accepted that an epidemic of mental illness began among American teens in the early 2010s”—and it goes on to show that the same kind of results show up around the world. (“The Teen Mental Illness Epidemic Is International, Part 1: The Anglosphere,” JonathanHaidt.substack.com, March 29, 2023).

The analysis concludes: “At this point, there is only one theory we know of that can explain why the same thing happened to girls in so many countries at the same time: the rapid global movement from flip phones (where you can’t do social media) to smartphones and the phone-based childhood. The first smartphone with a front-facing camera (the iPhone 4) came out in 2010 . . . Facebook bought Instagram in 2012 . . . So 2012 was the first year that very large numbers of girls in the developed world were spending hours each day posting photos of themselves and scrolling through hundreds of carefully edited photos of other girls.

“If you suddenly transform the social lives of girls, putting them onto platforms that prioritize social comparison and performance, platforms where we know that heavy users are three times more likely to be depressed than light users, might that have some impact on the mental health of girls around the world? We think so.”

 

Most Americans see news media as enemy of the people

A Rasmussen poll conducted May 16-18, 2023, found that 59 percent of likely voters in the United States either strongly agree or somewhat agree with stating that the media is “truly the enemy of the people.” The figure is higher for Republicans at 77 percent. But nearly half of Democrats also agree, with a recent 11 point drop in trust among them.

Overall, 52 percent of Americans say they don’t trust the political news coming from the mainstream establishment media, and 52 percent believe the media is biased towards Democrats—with very few believing it leans Republican (even among Democrats and Independents).

When digesting news from any source, it’s important to realize that specific agendas are often at work in guiding and controlling the narratives presented in news coverage and analysis. And those narratives and presentations are typically overwhelmingly biased against godly and biblical perspectives. We must always be careful what we allow into our minds.

 

Americans unsure God exists; many never go to church

Not quite 50 percent of Americans now say they have no doubt of God’s existence—this according to a 2022 survey, the results of which were released this May. The figure is down from 60 percent in 2008.

The same survey, the General Social Survey by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC), also found that 34 percent of Americans now never go to church—the highest rate of nonparticipation in five decades.

Another report from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) revealed that 27 percent of Americans claimed no religion in 2022, up from 19 percent in 2012 and 16 percent in 2006. Still, nearly three quarters believe in life after death (“Does God Exist? Only Half of Americans Say a Definite Yes,” The Hill, May 22, 2023).

Sadly, the nation and the world at large are becoming increasingly confused about God and His truth revealed in the Bible. Yet, as shown in several articles in this issue, evidence for the existence of God and the Bible as His inspired Word is abundant to those willing to see.

 

STI rates increasing, especially syphilis

Rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), particularly syphilis, have been going up in the United States over the past few years.

As LiveScience reports: “The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracks the national rate of gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis infections. Rates of these bacterial STIs were already rising in the six years preceding the pandemic. Over this period, gonorrhea rates increased by an average of roughly 10% each year, chlamydia rates increased by an average 3.6% annually and syphilis rates increased by an average 14% annually . . .

“Syphilis case rates surged more sharply in the same time period, to their highest rate in three decades—a 27% uptick compared to 2020 . . . Soaring syphilis infections are particularly concerning as they are tied to rising rates of congenital syphilis [that is, being passed on to babies in the womb, causing birth defects and other serious problems, including death] . . . Congenital syphilis infection rates roughly tripled from 2017 to 2021” (“Why Are Sexually Transmitted Infections on the Rise in the US?” March 15, 2023).

The U.S. state of Mississippi saw a shocking jump in congenital syphilis cases between 2016 and 2021 (“Mississippi Hit by 900% Increase in Newborns Treated for Syphilis,” NBC News, Feb. 13, 2023).

Furthermore, “the US and UK are suffering a throat cancer ‘epidemic’—and experts point to oral sex [or, rather, that outside of monogamy] as the culprit. Dr. Hisham Mehanna, from the UK’s University of Birmingham, said 70 percent of cases of throat cancer are caused by [the sexually transmitted] human papillomavirus (HPV) . . . Dr Mehanna said people with multiple oral sex partners have an up to nine-fold increased risk of throat cancer” (“Oral Sex is Fueling an ‘Epidemic’ of Throat Cancers in the US and UK,” Daily Mail, April 26, 2023). HPV also causes cervical cancer (ibid.).

Along with all these increases, HIV cases are also on the rise. “And an international outbreak of monkeypox, which is being spread mainly between men who have sex with other men, has further highlighted the nation’s worsening problem with diseases spread mostly through sex. David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, called the situation ‘out of control’” (“‘Out of Control’ STD Situation Prompts Call for Changes,” Fox6 Milwaukee, Sept. 19, 2022).

LiveScience says that “one factor many scientists think is behind the rise in STI rates is the growing opioid epidemic. Use of opioids, including prescribed painkillers and illicit drugs such as heroin and fentanyl, reached new heights amid the pandemic and has been linked to risky sexual behavior that raise the risk of STI spread, such as not using a condom and having many sexual partners.”

Drug abuse, a foolish behavior in itself, certainly leads to more foolish behavior. And needle sharing is another way to pass on disease, such as HIV.

But the real problem here is not lack of general health education and reminders about condom usage. The real problem is disobeying God’s commandments about sexuality and reaping the consequences. The apostle Paul speaks in Romans 1:27 of those engaged in sexual immorality “committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.”

Society is under curses for its sins. But people can and must repent—and God will also heal. Let’s pray that more people will turn from wickedness and embrace the ways of God. And to better understand the proper context of human sexuality, be sure to read our free study guide Marriage and Family: The Missing Dimension.

 

Many not getting enough sleep

According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in three Americans are not getting enough sleep—defined as seven or more hours a night. In the 1940s the average American adult slept 7.9 hours a night. It’s now 6.8 hours a night and likely not as restful.

Lack of sleep can drastically increase risk for heart disease, strokes and cancer. It’s also been linked to obesity, depression, anxiety, heart failure and dementia. Besides increased health care costs, job performance also suffers, with tiredness leading to lack of focus, missed work and greater chance of injuries on the job (Axios, May 29, 2022).

For good sleep, schedule around your best hours and stay consistent. Maintain a good sleep environment with low light and noise. Get sun and exercise for sufficient tiredness to sleep easier. Avoid caffeine at night. Keep naps in the day short. Turn off devices with screens a half-hour before bedtime. Seek solutions to disturbed breathing from allergies or apnea, which can be dangerous. Reduce stress and pray to God for peace of mind. “For so He gives His beloved sleep” (Psalm 127:2; see also Proverbs 3:24).

We should also be careful to avoid the opposite in sleeping too much (Proverbs 19:15; 20:13; 24:33-34). Rather, we must seek the right balance, being productive and getting needed rest—each of these leading to the other.