The mounting evidence regarding social media’s adverse effects on youth is especially concerning given that adolescence is a critical period of development, when different areas of the brain begin to integrate and the prefrontal cortex develops at an accelerated pace. In this phase, the brain is especially open to learning and growing, and teens may have intensified sensitivity to the nature of social media, according to the Surgeon General’s advisory. Adolescence also involves profound physiological changes — these young people are simultaneously navigating increasing autonomy, forming their identities, developing relationships and more. Thus, the potential effects of social media during this vulnerable phase warrant particular attention.