Social media platforms have begun to respond.

TikTok, for instance, is partnering with the through the , a network of healthcare influencers dedicated to raising good health content and fighting misinformation, to amplify credible health voices. This includes redirecting online searches for topics like depression and post traumatic stress disorder to trustworthy sources like the National Institute of Mental Health and the Cleveland Clinic. These steps show what is possible when platforms and public health align.

Pinterest has banned all weight loss ads and promotes body-neutral inspiration boards. YouTube collaborates with health nonprofits to highlight verified content and redirect viewers to professional help.  Instagram offers content break tools and resource prompts when certain hashtags are used, such as #selfcare, #mentalhealth, and #takeabreak. These efforts show that platforms can evolve when they listen to the public.

We are not just online. We are alive in these spaces. Many of us take care of each other when institutions fall short. From WhatsApp support groups to creators addressing burnout, we鈥檝e built a vast, informal support system. It鈥檚 powerful. It shouldn鈥檛 be our only one.

That鈥檚 why I joined the , a group created to bring youth voices into the center of global health decision-making. We share with WHO leadership the realities of youth digital experiences, including mental health and taboo topics.

For example, we鈥檝e highlighted how young people turn to digital platforms like Instagram or WhatsApp to discuss sensitive issues such as depression or sexual health, often because offline support is inaccessible or stigmatized. These insights help WHO leaders understand where young people are seeking help, what barriers they face, and how health information actually circulates among us.

The council鈥檚 Health, Education and Literacy Working Group specifically focuses on making WHO鈥檚 health information more youth-friendly, adapting technical guidance into formats and languages that resonate with young people.

Despite our efforts, evidence-based health information often struggles to compete with viral trends, memes, and misinformation. Even when good content exists, it can get buried. Many young people continue to face stigma, lack of access, and language barriers when trying to find answers to personal health questions online.

Our recent , developed and launched by young people, calls for equitable health education, accessible healthcare, and youth leadership in decision-making. It places digital literacy and mental health at the center of these efforts.

WHO鈥檚 Fides Network, launched in 2020, plays a big role. The network includes more than 1,300 creators globally who together, have posted hundreds 鈥� if not thousands 鈥� of videos across platforms in support of WHO鈥檚 broader public health mission. The mental health campaign with TikTok began in May 2024 and is just one part of the broader Fides initiative.

Fides doesn鈥檛 throw lectures at us. It gives professionals the tools and space to meet young people where we are, with content that feels real, trustworthy, and doable. Since 2024, more than 55 creators across 10 countries have shared 282 videos. These have reached 850 million people and been viewed over 1.3 billion times.

These creators 鈥� doctors, nurses, scientists, and public health professionals 鈥� share short, evidence-based content tailored for platforms like TikTok and YouTube. This work does more than inform; it helps rebuild trust.

Creators like , a psychologist who now reaches people through short videos, are helping shift how we talk about health. They do this not with clinical jargon but with honesty and clarity.

What we need now is action, not just acknowledgment. Public health leaders must move beyond issuing statements and begin working directly with young people to create real, lasting solutions. That includes deeper partnerships with digital platforms to increase access to evidence-based health advice and tackle misinformation.

These platforms are not temporary. They are part of our everyday lives and will continue to shape future generations. Their improvement depends on informed, empowered users who are not afraid to speak up and demand better.

My vision for youth leadership in digital public health is bold: I want to see young people not just as messengers, but as architects of the systems that shape our wellbeing online. Imagine a world where mental health campaigns are designed by youth creators and clinicians working together, where social media algorithms aim to promote empathy and accurate information, and where youth-led digital health innovations receive real, sustained funding 鈥� not just token support.

Right now, less than 2% of global health funding is directed toward adolescent mental health, and even less reaches youth-led digital initiatives, . That needs to change if we鈥檙e serious about empowering young people.

That means ensuring three things:

•  Trust: A world where a 17-year-old feels safer asking about anxiety or depression from a WHO-verified youth creator than from an anonymous internet search. 
•  Equity: Local language and culturally relevant content must be the foundation, not an afterthought, in digital health communication. 
• Resilience: Young people need to feel equipped, not overwhelmed, when sharing health content online. That means providing training, safeguarding, and mental health support for youth creators.

If, in five years, young people are co-leading WHO communication labs, influencing digital platform guidelines, and shaping national mental health plans from the inside out 鈥�
I would call that real success.

We were born on social platforms. We want to grow up informed, resilient, and healthy. Let us lead the way toward a better internet, one where health information is trusted, clear, and built for everyone, not just the loudest voices.

Screen time permeates the lives of toddlers and preschoolers. For many young children, their exposure includes both direct viewing, such as watching a TV show, and indirect viewing, such as when media is on in the background during other daily activities.

As many parents will know, . As scholars who specialize in and , we are particularly interested in the recent finding that too much screen time is associated with less parent-child talk, such as .

As a result, the and suggest limiting screen time for children.

Beyond quantity, they also emphasize the quality of a child鈥檚 engagement with digital media. Used in moderation, certain kinds of media can 鈥� and even contribute to language development.

These tips may help parents structure and manage screen time more effectively.

No. 1: Choose high-quality content

Parents can enhance their children鈥檚 screen-time value by choosing high-quality media 鈥� that is, content with educational benefit. , from 鈥淣ature Cat鈥� to 鈥淪id the Science Kid,鈥� that would qualify as educational.

Two other elements contribute to the quality of screen time.

First, screen content should be age-appropriate 鈥� that is, parents should choose shows, apps and games that are specifically designed for young children. Using a resource such as allows parents to check recommended ages for television shows, movies and apps.

Second, parents can look for shows that use evidence-based educational techniques, such as participatory cues. That鈥檚 when characters in shows break the 鈥渇ourth wall鈥� by directly talking to their young audience to prompt reflection, action or response. that children learn new words better when a show has participatory cues 鈥� perhaps because it encourages active engagement rather than passive viewing.

Many classic, high-quality television shows for young children feature participatory cues, including 鈥�,鈥� 鈥�,鈥� 鈥溾�� and 鈥�.鈥�

No. 2: Join in on screen time

The that whenever possible.

This recommendation is based on the evidence that increased screen media use can reduce parent-child conversation. This, in turn, can affect . Intentionally discussing media content with children increases language exposure during screen time.

Parents may find the following joint media engagement strategies useful:

• Press pause and ask questions.
• Point out basic concepts, such as letters and colors.
• Model more advanced language using a 鈥渢hink aloud鈥� approach, such as, 鈥淭hat surprised me! I wonder what will happen next?鈥�

No. 3: Connect what鈥檚 on screen to real life

because their brains struggle to transfer information and ideas from screens to the real world. Children learn more from screen media, research shows, when the content connects to their real-life experiences.

To maximize the benefits of screen time, parents can help children connect what they are viewing with experiences they鈥檝e had. For example, while watching content together, a parent might say, 鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to the zoo. Do you remember what we saw when we went to the zoo?鈥�

This approach promotes language development and cognitive skills, including . Children learn better with repeated exposure to words, so selecting media that relates to a child鈥檚 real-life experiences can help reinforce new vocabulary.

No. 4: Enjoy screen-free times

Ensuring that a child鈥檚 day is filled with varied experiences, including periods that don鈥檛 involve screens, increases language exposure in children鈥檚 daily routines.

Two ideal screen-free times are mealtimes and bedtime. Mealtimes present opportunities for back-and-forth conversation with children, exposing them to a lot of language. Additionally, bedtime should be screen-free, as using screens near bedtime or having a TV in children鈥檚 bedrooms .

Alternatively, devoting bedtime to reading children鈥檚 books accomplishes the dual goals of helping children wind down and creating a .

Having additional screen-free, one-on-one, parent-child play for at least 10 minutes at some other point in the day is good for young children. Parents can maximize the benefits of one-on-one play by letting .

A parent鈥檚 role here is to follow their child鈥檚 lead, play along, give their child their full attention 鈥� so no phones for mom or dad, either 鈥� and provide language enrichment. They can do this by labeling toys, pointing out shapes, colors and sizes. It can also be done by describing activities 鈥� 鈥淵ou鈥檙e rolling the car across the floor鈥� 鈥� and responding when their child speaks.

Parent-child playtime is also a great opportunity to extend interests from screen time. Including toys of your child鈥檚 favorite characters from the shows or movies they love in playtime transforms that enjoyment from screen time into learning.

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

In what may be a national first, New Mexico issued a requiring that all school staff receive coronavirus booster shots or submit to weekly testing.

The state was already enforcing a vaccinate-or-test rule for K-12 workers and other state employees, but due to concern surrounding the recently identified Omicron variant, the state announced that it will require school staff to up their immunity with an extra shot of the vaccine by Jan. 17, 2022. 

Booster shots, infectious disease specialists believe, are the against the new strain.

鈥淲e recognize the gravity of the situation,鈥� Nora Sackett, press secretary for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, told 蜜桃影视. 鈥淔or folks who are fully vaccinated, they are now required to get their booster shot, if they鈥檙e eligible.鈥�

As of Nov. 29, 85 percent of school staff had been fully vaccinated, according to the state Public Education Department. K-12 employees who are unvaccinated, or who have two doses but choose not to receive a third, must undergo weekly testing for the virus, she explained. If staff are non-compliant with the testing regimen, individual school districts will decide on repercussions. 

Only about 9 percent of school staff reported having received a booster shot as of Dec. 7, meaning the vast majority of vaccinated K-12 employees still must submit documentation of a third dose by Jan. 17 in order to avoid the state鈥檚 weekly testing regimen.

Outside of schools, the order requires third doses with no testing opt-out for New Mexico鈥檚 health care workers. It鈥檚 the first booster mandate in the nation that the data team behind the has identified.

鈥淲e haven鈥檛 seen it anywhere else,鈥� Burbio co-founder Dennis Roche told 蜜桃影视. 

While numerous districts, including Chicago, gave teachers a day off to get their third shots, he said, 鈥渨e have not seen [boosters] mandated until we saw it in New Mexico.鈥� 

Sackett, also, said she was not aware of any other states having such a policy on the books.

The published by the governor鈥檚 office includes multiple paragraphs outlining the threats posed by the Omicron variant, which seem to have motivated the announcement.  The new COVID strain has been detected in at least , with cases continuing to increase, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

In late November, the World Health Organization named the Omicron strain a 鈥渧ariant of concern鈥� just days after it was first identified. Its high number of mutations 鈥� including more than the Delta strain on the protein used to latch onto cells 鈥� raises alarm for officials. But scientists have yet to determine whether the new version of the virus is indeed more transmissible or better able to evade the protections provided by existing vaccines. More clarity will arrive in the , experts say. For now, the Delta variant remains the dominant coronavirus strain in the U.S. and is responsible for the vast majority of cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

The CDC last Monday on booster doses to recommend that all adults 鈥渟hould,鈥� rather than 鈥渕ay,鈥� receive a third shot six months after their second. A day later, Pfizer CEO and Chairman Albert Bourla announced that his pharmaceutical company from the Food and Drug Administration to extend eligibility for third doses to 16- and 17-year olds.

Alarm over possible threats from the Omicron strain may be translating into more demand for coronavirus immunizations. On Thursday, nearly doses were administered, according to CDC data, a level not seen since late May.

It remains unclear, however, who exactly has been rolling up their sleeves. Counts published by the American Academy of Pediatrics indicate that the number of youth getting vaccinated against the coronavirus had in the seven-day period ending Dec. 1, but the nationwide spike in doses has mostly come after that window.

On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced a spate of new policies designed to enhance school safety and boost youth vaccination rates. He introduced measures including the and a requirement that Medicaid pay health care providers for vaccine consultations with families. 

鈥溾�嬧�媁e鈥檙e going to fight this variant with science and speed, not chaos and confusion,鈥� said the president.

Biden also indicated that the CDC would soon release updated guidance on 鈥渢est-to-stay鈥� programs for schools that allow students potentially exposed to the virus to avoid quarantine if they test negative before the school day. This fall, the practice has grown increasingly popular nationwide as schools seek to keep healthy students learning in person. Test-to-stay schemes would likely expand further should the federal government recommend their implementation.

In California, the state that so far has taken the most aggressive approach to vaccinating its public school students, a federal appeals court on Sunday delivered a win to San Diego Unified School District, against the implementation of its student COVID immunization mandate. Students 16 and up in the state鈥檚 second-largest school system will have until Dec. 20 to receive their second vaccine doses if they wish to attend school in person after Jan. 24, when the policy is set to take effect. 

鈥淭his latest decision recognizes that we have both the responsibility to protect students and the authority to do so by implementing a vaccine mandate, which is really our best hope as a country to get this deadly disease under control,鈥� Board President Richard Barrera said in a statement.

The case, however, may be ongoing according to Paul Jonna, the attorney representing the lawsuit鈥檚 plaintiff, a 16-year-old high school junior who sued the district over its mandate in October, citing religious objections.

鈥淲e will seek emergency relief from the U.S. Supreme Court as soon as possible,鈥� Jonna said in a statement.

More than eligible San Diego students are fully vaccinated, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. 

Just north in Los Angeles, where a student immunization rule will also soon go into effect, the district published figures Nov. 22 showing that of eligible youth had received at least one coronavirus shot or were medically exempt. L.A. Unified鈥檚 mandate applies to all students ages 12 and up.

California is also the only state in the nation to adopt a statewide student COVID mandate, which will likely kick in next school year. But already, a small district in San Diego County has said that it will allow unvaccinated students to continue learning in separate, off-campus buildings, .

鈥淔or whatever reason, if the parent chooses not to vaccinate [their child], I still believe that a student deserves every opportunity to reach their potential,鈥� schools Superintendent Rich Newman said.

On the other side of the country, New York City will up the stakes on vaccination even for its youngest residents, requiring restaurants and movie theaters by Dec. 14 to of children ages 5 to 11, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday.

Back in New Mexico, bracing for the possible threats of the Omicron variant, acting Health Secretary David Scrase shared his reasoning on the state鈥檚 new booster requirement.

鈥淣ew Mexico isn鈥檛 an island,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd we can鈥檛 prevent the new variant from arriving here. So we must defend ourselves with the tools we know to work.鈥�