I’m no stranger to the dangers of social media and gaming culture, or of allowing children too much screen time. My family lived through the nightmare of watching our smart and outgoing son fall prey to an online cult through the messaging platform Discord, which my husband and I had approved as safe. We witnessed our once-happy boy tumble into a world of isolation, anger and despair, ultimately leading him to attempt suicide. Twice.
Thankfully, we were able to intervene, and we got him the support he needed. So when the U.S. surgeon general issued a dire warning to Americans that young people are experiencing a mental health crisis driven by social media, he was speaking directly to the horrific experiences of families like ours.
