How is social media impacting the mental health of Idaho kids?

By Gemma Gaudette

Published November 20, 2023 at 1:32 PM MST

A child looks at social media apps on their phone.

Last month, Idaho joined 42 other states in a lawsuit against Meta, alleging the tech company’s platforms have significantly contributed to the youth mental health crisis by making their social media platforms addictive.

So outside of this lawsuit, and in light of recent youth suicides in the Treasure Valley, what’s being done locally to address this crisis impacting our children?

Scott Curtis, CEO of the Idaho Youth Ranch and Dr. Spencer Merrick, the psychiatrist at the Idaho Youth Ranch's Residential Center for Health and Resilience, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about this.

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Gemma Gaudette

Hi! I’m Gemma Gaudette, the host of the award-winning show, Idaho Matters. During the day you’ll find me researching and writing about all the fascinating topics we tackle on our show. And of course, at noon, each weekday you’ll find me live behind the microphone as Idaho Matters airs.

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