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AMERICAN V AM PSY'CN^ OLOGICA Usm wow ASSOCIATION TMEM Now SERVICES,INC. p clamp down on known harmful impacts while building internal expertise to prepare to tackle newly discovered harms. APA supported these efforts in past Congresses and commits to work to see these proposals enacted because, as I present below, scientific data are beginning to suggest areas of serious concern that must not be allowed to continue unchecked. Before we discuss specific impacts of online platforms or solutions, it is important to acknowledge that causal data are not available for many of these issues, since the experimental designs needed to make cause-and-effect statements would be considered unethical or require access to currently inaccessible data. This underscores the need for increased access to data and funding for high-quality research. However, as with non-causal research revealing the effects of childhood adversity on mental health, or the effects of combat on PTSD among veterans, extant, rigorous science can nevertheless allow us to reach reasonable conclusions that can shape policy. It also is important to acknowledge that technology and social media may not, in themselves, be problematic for child development, as each device and platform offers a multitude of features and communication opportunities that users can choose from. Extensive research has demonstrated that the amount of screentime alone is not likely associated with negative psychological outcomes among youth 5. Moreover, not all youth exposed to identical stimuli are affected in the same ways. Thus, the most appropriate question is: what specific online behaviors, features, or content may be associated with benefit or risk to which youth. This is the focus of the most recent work among psychological scientists, yielding some comforting, but also some worrying results. But first, to understand the role of social media in youths' development, it is necessary to understand the role of social interactions more generally at this critical developmental stage. s Odgers CL,Jensen MR.Annul Research Review:Adolescent mental health in the digital age:facts,fears, and future directions. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2020;61(3):336-348. doi:10.1111ljcpp.13190. 4 APA.ORG APASERVICES.ORG 750 Furst street,NIIE 202.336.5800 Advocating for APA rrterribers ood psychology Washington,DC'20002-4242 202.336,6i123 TDD