Arleen Richards is NTD's legal correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers all major legal stories. Arleen holds a Doctor of Law (J.D.).


Arleen Richards

NTD Plus

News

News with integrity, from the U.S. and around the world. Focused reports and analyses that shed light on major issues the world deserves to know. NTD Evening News airs daily at 6 p.m. ET.

NTD Evening News

Massive Win Against 'Gender-Affirming Care': Biologist on Children's Hospital Settlement

David Zhang is a Washington correspondent focusing on national politics and U.S.–China relations. He was previously the host of the California Today and NTD Tonight.

David Zhang

Long-Awaited Documentary ‘Silent Harvest’ Debuts

Melina Wisecup is NTD's congressional correspondent based in Washington, covering Capitol Hill and campaign politics.

Melina Wisecup

Washington Roundup (May 16): Hearing Spotlights Forced Organ Harvesting in China

Daniel Monaghan is a reporter for NTD News covering culture, social issues, and education. He holds a BA in Political Science and Government.

Daniel Monaghan

White House Week in Review (May 16): China Trip, Police Week, Biolab Crackdown

Dave Martin is NTD's Senior Sports Reporter and sports analyst. He also hosts "Data Hub" segments during NTD's special election coverage, "The Nation Decides."

Dave Martin

Pistons, Cavs Get Ready For Game 7, Knicks Await Winner

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


NTD Newsroom

Sen. Cassidy Faces Tough Competition in GOP Primary

Jacki Thrapp is an Emmy® Award-winning journalist based in Nashville. She previously worked at The New York Post, Fox News Channel and has written a series of Off-Broadway musicals in NYC. Contact her at jacki.thrapp@epochtimes.us

Jacki Thrapp

Business News

China Eases Restrictions on US Beef, Poultry Following Beijing Summit

Sam Wang is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Sam covers politics on Capitol Hill, and U.S.-China relations. 

Sam Wang

Citizens React to Communist Cuba in Crisis

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

US News

Politics

Executive Branch

Trump Says ISIS Second-in-Command Killed in Joint US–Nigerian Mission

Federal Agencies Announce ‘Summer Surge’ of Law Enforcement into DC Ahead of 250th Anniversary

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 16)

Cary Dunst is the news anchor for NTD Evening News. He is also the co-host of NTD Good Morning.


Cary Dunst

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 15)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 14)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 13)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 12)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 11)

Don Ma is an anchor and senior business correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Don is the anchor and producer of NTD's "Business Matters," which airs weekdays at 4:30 pm ET.

Don Ma

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 10)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 9)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 8)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 7)

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

China Sends Warships to Pacific Drill as Tensions With Japan Rise

Reuters is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages.

Reuters

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.

NTD Good Morning

2 US Embassy Personnel Assigned to Cartel Case Killed in Car Accident

Gunman Kills 8 Children, Including 7 of His Own, in Louisiana Mass Shooting

Flora Hua is a reporter based at NTD's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers China news, U.S.-China relations, and human rights issues. Flora primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus."  

Flora Hua

Trump: Seized Iranian Ship May Have ‘A Gift From China’

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

Aldgra Fredly is a freelance writer covering U.S. and Asia Pacific news for The Epoch Times.

Aldgra Fredly

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized in Critical Condition: Spokesman

Wildfires Across Georgia and Florida Have Destroyed Nearly 50 Homes and Are Forcing Evacuations

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

NTD News Today

US Warns of China Hacks via Routers, Smart Devices

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

2 Americans Among Suspected Communist Rebels Killed in Clashes With Troops, Philippine Officials Say

Ryan Morgan is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on military and foreign affairs. He was previously a news writer for NTD. 


Ryan Morgan

Mari Otsu is NTD's White House correspondent based in Washington. 

Mari Otsu

World News

Middle East

Iran

3 US Warships Fend Off Iranian Attacks, Trump Says Ceasefire Still Holds

Health News

3 Dead in Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship in Atlantic Ocean: WHO

United States Surgeon General <span class="person-popover" data-nid="20112">Vivek Murthy </span>issued a <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/youth-mental-health/social-media/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2sqnge6eeGOL9nBtxlsXXL1kpEto3vF5mcx1O0zDBWCEOipM-TGvTQaKU">new advisory</a> on Tuesday morning, warning that social media can negatively impact the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents and may be contributing to a youth mental health crisis.

"The most common question parents ask me is, ‘is social media safe for my kids’. The answer is that we don't have enough evidence to say it's safe, and in fact, there is growing evidence that social media use is associated with harm to young people’s mental health,” Murthy said in a Tuesday press <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/05/23/surgeon-general-issues-new-advisory-about-effects-social-media-use-has-youth-mental-health.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “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. We are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis, and I am concerned that social media is an important driver of that crisis—one that we must urgently address.”

The 25-page advisory (<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pdf</a>), issued through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), cites numerous studies on how social media use has impacted children.

The advisory describes some of the potential benefits of social media use, such as building a sense of community among people with shared identities and interests. But the HHS report also notes the potential drawbacks of prolonged social media use, like the development of poor body image and eating disorders, exposure to bullying and hateful content, deaths and injuries linked to popular risk-taking challenges spread on social media platforms, and the potential normalization of self-harm and suicidal behavior. The advisory also described links between social media use and poor sleep and attention problems.

A 2019 <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2749480" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> cited in the new HHS advisory found that children between the age of 12 and 15 who spent more than 3 hours per day on social media faced double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, including symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Social media platforms can also expose children to predatory behavior, such as sexual or financial exploitation. According to a 2023 study (<a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/how-girls-really-feel-about-social-media-researchreport_final_1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pdf</a>) cited by the HHS advisory, 58 percent of girls who used Instagram, 57 percent who used Snapchat, and 46 percent who used TikTok reported unwanted contact from strangers on those platforms.
<h2>What to Do About Social Media</h2>
The impact social media has on children has been a longstanding point of concern, but how to address these concerns remains unclear.

Murthy has previously suggested raising the minimum age requirement for using social media platforms. Many platforms require users to be at least 13 years old, but Murthy has said that <a href="https://www.ntd.com/young-teens-should-not-use-social-media-platforms-as-it-harms-their-brains-development-says-u-s-surgeon-general_898074.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may still be too young</a>.

"I, personally, based on the data I’ve seen, believe that 13 is too early," he told <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/29/health/surgeon-general-social-media/index.html">CNN</a> in January.

In March, Utah <a href="https://www.ntd.com/utah-becomes-first-state-to-require-parental-consent-for-minors-to-use-social-media_909386.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">became the first state</a> to require social media companies to verify that users in the state are at least 18 years old in order to open an account, and require parental consent for users under the age of 18. Utah also passed a law that requires social media companies to allow parents full access to their child’s accounts.

Murthy and the HHS concluded that the burden of regulating social media use has largely fallen on children and their parents.

"While nearly all parents believe they have a responsibility to protect their children from inappropriate content online, the entire burden of mitigating the risk of harm of social media cannot be placed on the shoulders of children and parents. Nearly 80 percent of parents believe technology companies have a responsibility to protect children from inappropriate content as well," the new HHS advisory states.

The advisory concludes with lists of recommendations for policymakers, companies, parents, and children going forward.

Among the recommendations for policymakers are calls to establish age-based standards for how social media companies employ features intended to maximize time, attention, and engagement on their platforms. Policymakers are also advised to "ensure technology companies share data relevant to the health impact of their platforms with independent researchers and the public," support the development of digital and media literacy curricula in schools, and support increased funding to research the potential benefits and harms of social media use.

Social media companies are advised to share user data with researchers more freely, and to better tailor tools and features of their platforms to reduce harm and encourage safer online behavior for young people.

Parents are advised to set limits on their family's social media use, teach their children about social media risks, and report cyberbullying and other online abuse or harassment. Children are similarly advised to be aware of the time they spend online, block unwanted contacts and content, and report online harassment they encounter.

Health

Science &amp; Tech

social media

Videos

snapchat

Life

04_Top Stories

Latest Clips

Surgeon General

Strong Mind &amp; Body

harmful effects of TikTok

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.

Surgeon General Warns Social Media Is Driving a 'Youth Mental Health Crisis'