Surgeon general calls for social media warning labels
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Key takeaways:
- The U.S. surgeon general asked Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms.
- Murthy has previously issued an advisory regarding social media use among children.
The United States surgeon general on Monday asked Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms to help protect children.
“The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor,” Vivek H. Murthy, MD, MBA, wrote in a New York Times editorial.
Last year, Murthy issued an advisory on social media use, urging action to limit its potential effects on children’s mental health. A 2023 study of more than 1,400 adolescents showed that 46% said they used the internet “almost constantly” — nearly double the rate reported in 2015.
In his editorial, Murthy drew a comparison between social media use and smoking.
“It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents,” he wrote. “A surgeon general’s warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe. Evidence from tobacco studies show that warning labels can increase awareness and change behavior.”
He said Congressional legislation should “shield young people from online harassment, abuse and exploitation and from exposure to extreme violence and sexual content that too often appears in algorithm-driven feeds” on social media platforms.
“The measures should prevent platforms from collecting sensitive data from children and should restrict the use of features like push notifications, autoplay and infinite scroll, which prey on developing brains and contribute to excessive use,” Murthy wrote.
“Additionally, companies must be required to share all of their data on health effects with independent scientists and the public — currently they do not — and allow independent safety audits,” he wrote. “While the platforms claim they are making their products safer, Americans need more than words. We need proof.”
Murthy also called on public health leaders to demand “healthy digital environments for young people,” writing that parents often feel helpless and “alone in the face of toxic content and hidden harms” on social media.
“There is no seatbelt for parents to click, no helmet to snap in place, no assurance that trusted experts have investigated and ensured that these platforms are safe for our kids,” Murthy wrote. “There are just parents and their children, trying to figure it out on their own, pitted against some of the best product engineers and most well-resourced companies in the world.”
In the editorial, Murthy recalled a conversation with a group of students who acknowledged what they liked about social media, such as finding communities and artistic expression, but also the platforms’ downsides.
“One by one, they spoke about their experiences with social media: the endless comparison with other people that shredded their self-esteem, the feeling of being addicted and unable to set limits and the difficulty having real conversations on platforms that too often fostered outrage and bullying,” Murthy wrote. “There was a sadness in their voices, as if they knew what was happening to them but felt powerless to change it.”
Murthy noted that, earlier this year, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded around 170 planes when a door plug came off a Boeing 737 Max 9 while it was in the air, and that in February, there was a massive recall of dairy products because of listeria contamination.
“Why is it that we have failed to respond to the harms of social media when they are no less urgent or widespread than those posed by unsafe cars, planes or food?” Murthy asked.
He observed that “the moral test of any society is how well it protects its children.”
“We have the expertise, resources and tools to make social media safe for our kids,” Murthy wrote. “Now is the time to summon the will to act. Our children’s well-being is at stake.”
References:
Murthy VH. Surgeon general: Why I’m calling for a warning label on social media platforms. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/17/opinion/social-media-health-warning.html. Published June 17, 2024. Accessed June 17, 2024.
Teens, social media and technology 2023. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/12/11/teens-social-media-and-technology-2023/. Published Dec. 11, 2023. Accessed June 17, 2024.
Perspective
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In 2021, a national state of emergency for mental health in children and teens was declared, and recent surveys have shown that up to 42% of teens have experienced feelings of sadness and hopelessness. Many studies have shown links between social media use and teen mental health issues — this is not new.
As the surgeon general calls for a warning to be issued on social media regarding risk for mental health issues, what can we do to protect our children?
As a pediatrician and author of Building Happier Kids: Stress-Busting Tools for Parents, which touches on the effect that social media can have on children, I believe we must take strong steps. These include educating kids and teens about the potential harm of social media, advocating for reduced use of smartphones in classrooms, and emphasizing family-based and community-based interactions as priorities over screen use.
Similar to public health initiatives regarding nicotine and driving under the influence of alcohol, we need to think of structural strategies to reduce the use of social media by our children. As a mom of teens myself, I believe it is essential as a preventive measure to work collaboratively to help our kids.
References:
Youth risk behavior survey: Data summary and trends report. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_Data-Summary-Trends_Report2023_508.pdf. Published Feb. 13, 2023. Accessed June 17, 2024.
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Murthy VH. Surgeon general: Why I’m calling for a warning label on social media platforms. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/17/opinion/social-media-health-warning.html. Published June 17, 2024. Accessed June 17, 2024.
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