Utah Governor Advises People To Take A Social Media Break

The Hill: Utah Gov. Cox: Social Media Is A Societal Cancer
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) on Friday urged people to turn away from social media, calling it a “cancer on our society” after announcing that the suspected gunman in the killing of Charlie Kirk is in custody. At the end of his press conference announcing 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspected gunman in the shooting at Utah Valley University, Cox urged people to log off of social media, citing the violent imagery that proliferates through the medium. (Choi, 9/12)

AP: Advice For Parents On Shepherding Kids Through Intense Online Imagery
In hardly any time at all, the footage of the horrifying moment when a bullet hit conservative activist Charlie Kirk in the neck cascaded across the internet. ... And, of course, among those seeing it were kids, teens and other young people — those who live with their phones practically attached and are often far more chronically online than their parents. It raises a question that modern-day parents are sadly having to ask more frequently: How do you talk to your kids about what’s going on, what they’re seeing and hearing? (Hajela, 9/12)

More mental health news —

NBC News: Roblox, Discord Sued After 15-Year-Old Boy Was Allegedly Groomed Online Before He Died By Suicide
The mother of a 15-year-old California boy who took his own life is now suing Roblox and Discord over his death, alleging her son was groomed and coerced to send explicit images on the apps. Rebecca Dallas filed the lawsuit Friday in San Francisco County Superior Court, accusing the companies of “recklessly and deceptively operating their business in a way that led to the sexual exploitation and suicide” of Ethan Dallas. (Lenthang and Mullen, 9/14)

Medical Xpress: Study Finds AR/VR Sports Games Boost Mental Health And Social Connection
Published in the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, the study shows that playing AR/VR sports games can promote psychological well-being by helping players feel connected to others and engage in real-time communication. More interestingly, the positive effects of feeling socially present were even stronger for those experiencing loneliness. (Knapp, 9/14)

Undark: Mental Health Coaches Seek To Fill Gaps, But Oversight Lags
“I‘d rather just skip lunch today,” read a June text from Megan McArthur. The message was addressed to Cambria Camp, an eating disorder recovery coach McArthur had been working with since the previous December. McArthur said that, through a text exchange, Camp helped her remember that regular meals are crucial for eating disorder recovery and guided her through assembling a nutritious meal from the products in her kitchen. After years of food struggles and multiple hospitalizations, McArthur might have found the missing piece in her treatment plan. (Rowińska, 9/15)

San Francisco Chronicle: Peer Counselors Help Bay Area Schools Tackle Teen Mental Health Crisis
Nearly a third of the juniors in the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District felt “so sad or hopeless” last year that it hindered their normal activities. Fourteen percent said they had seriously considered suicide. At the same time, campus resources weren’t scarce. Mountain View High has six on-campus therapists and a slate of referral options in place for roughly 2,000 students. The district sees 1 in 4 students pass through school-facilitated wellness programs. (Xu, 9/14)

Also —

AP: Maui Students Face Ongoing Mental Health Battle After Wildfires
Mia Palacio felt like she lost a piece of herself when wildfires destroyed her hometown of Lahaina. ... Moving between high schools, she never felt welcome, Palacio said, and the pain only intensified as the months wore on. Finally, near the first anniversary of the fires, Palacio reached out for help. Hundreds of students like Palacio have struggled mentally since the fires – and not all have received the help they need. (Tagami, Jones and Díaz Ramos, 9/15)