As Florida battles TikTok in court over allegations the platform is harming children and deceiving parents about its safety, Dr. Deborah Birx warned Newsmax on Tuesday that many young people recognize the dangers of social media but fail to see how it affects them personally.

Appearing on Newsmax's "American Agenda," Birx said the growing concerns over social media's impact on children highlight the need for stronger safeguards and greater awareness among families and students.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has alleged that TikTok misled parents about safety protections while exposing children to harmful content through addictive design features.

The lawsuit claims that some children spend six, seven, or even eight hours a day on the platform and seeks civil penalties as well as an order requiring TikTok to comply with state youth-protection laws.

The state also alleges that TikTok has allowed minors access to content involving pornography, self-harm, and drug use. TikTok has denied the allegations and said it will defend its safety standards and privacy protections in court.

Asked about social media's effect on young people, Birx said children themselves often acknowledge the problem — but only when discussing their peers.

"When you ask the kids themselves, they say social media is negatively affecting my friends," she said.

"So, they can see it in others. They can't always see it in themselves," she added.

Birx said parents should feel comfortable setting limits on social media use, just as previous generations accepted restrictions on television.

"I think for those of us who grew up in the TV generation, remember there were no TVs in the bedroom," she said, adding, "So, it should be very acceptable" to establish similar boundaries around social media.

Birx also expressed concern about what she called the "confluence" of artificial intelligence and social media, warning that increasingly realistic AI-generated content could create new dangers.

"But I really worry about the confluence of AI with social media," she said.

Pointing to examples of people seeing AI-generated content online, Birx said she worries that children will attempt to imitate risky behavior.

"People seeing things on social media, thinking they can do it because it's AI generated, it looks real, and they go out and try it," she said.

Birx said governments and school systems are beginning to respond, citing efforts in states across the U.S. as well as in the United Kingdom and Australia to limit phone use in classrooms and reduce children's exposure to harmful online content.

Still, she said more education is needed to help children understand the risks posed by social media and AI-generated content.

"People are really trying, but there needs to be real clear understanding, and we need to get to our kids so they understand it," Birx said.