The Office of the Surgeon General is warning parents that children 13 and under should not have access to social media.

Vivek Murthy is calling on social media companies to provide more transparency about the impact of their products and what it's doing to people's mental health.

The surgeon general's 53-page youth mental health advisory said 81% of 14- to 22-year-olds responded in 2020 that they used social media either "daily" or "almost constantly."

Researchers argue digital technologies can expose children to bullying, obesity, eating disorders and lack of sleep, which could lead to depression, anxiety and self-harm.

Many social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok require their users to be at least 13 years old.

The surgeon general advises parents to take notice of how much time their children are spending online and be aware of what devices they have access to. Parents are also advised to reflect on how they use their own technology and the influence it has on their children.

Dr. Scott Krakower, a child psychiatrist with Northwell Health, says there has to be a balance.

"I think you have to have a balance, like, 'Look, these are the rules for the house and at a certain point, you will have to put down the social media," Krakower says.

Some teenagers are deciding for themselves that they need to have a balance thanks to the way they were brought up.

Allie McCormick, 17 of Jericho, says she was able to get a phone at 14 and she could download social media apps at 17. She says she now knows how to balance her schoolwork and screen time.

"Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of great parts about it, but there's also just bullies, and just overall toxicity and girls try to look a certain way and even boys," McCormick says.

Her mother, Frank O'Connor, says eliminating social media until a certain age can create a better environment and better lifestyle for children.

Krakower and other health experts say social media companies should have stricter policies like tightening age verification requirements and privacy settings