Surgeon General Calls for Social Media Warning Labels to Protect Teens

The Epoch Times Header

Cigarettes and alcohol have cautionary notes, he says, while citing research showing high risk for anxiety and depression among heavy users of online networks.

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy wants social media sites to inform users that there is evidence linking these sites to risks to adolescentsโ€™ mental health.

Dr. Murthy made the case for the change in an opinion piece published by The New York Times on June 17.

โ€œIt is time to require a surgeon generalโ€™s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents.โ€

The health official proposed that labels similar to those on tobacco products and alcoholic beverages could increase awareness among social media users and their guardians.

โ€œA surgeon generalโ€™s warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe,โ€ he added.

Dr. Murthyโ€™s appeal cited alarming statistics: Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of experiencing anxiety and depression.

The average daily use among this age group was 4.8 hours as of the summer of 2023. Nearly half of adolescents report that social media negatively affects their body image.

The article also cited a recent survey finding that 76 percent of Latino parents would limit or monitor their childrenโ€™s social media use if warned to do so by the surgeon general.

Dr. Murthy emphasizes that a warning label alone is insufficient. In his previous advisory on social media and young peopleโ€™s mental health, he outlined specific recommendations for policymakers, platforms, and the public to enhance safety for kids online.

He also calls for legislative action to prevent platforms from collecting sensitive data from children and to restrict features such as push notifications, autoplay, and infinite scroll, which contribute to excessive use.

He insists that companies share all their health effects data with independent scientists and the public and allow independent safety audits.

Near the end of his comments, Dr. Murthy drew parallels to safety measures for cars, planes, and food, asking why the country hasnโ€™t treated social media with the same care and concern.

Byย Savannah Hulsey Pointer

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Columns

Why Fishermen Are Catching Fewer Lobsters in Maine

For veteran lobsterman Travis Dammier, it was the end of another trip at sea on a solo voyage to earn a living.

Viewers like you

There is no constitutional authority for any spending on public broadcasting โ€“ period. Any questions: See Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.

Beyond the Trump-Musk fallout?

We are witnessing an unprecedented, unhinged Democrat effort to use lawfare, big Democrat donors, street theater, congressional disruptions, potty-mouth videos, the administrative state, the legacy media, and discredited pollsters to stop the Trump agenda.

Trans-wormal

No worm ever said "I am anthropomorphizing, I am a butterfly" to a toad or flock of geese and expected acknowledgement and support.

In Greenlandโ€™s Icy Capital, Past Troubles Haunt Hopes for the Future

As geopolitical realities and ongoing economic growth raise the stakes, U.S. interest in Greenland and the dream of independence may change things in a big way.

News

Why Drug Price Reform Alone Wonโ€™t Heal America

What happens when medications become too cheap, plentiful, and automatic and we donโ€™t reform how drugs are used? We risk clinical harm.

Trump Says Musk Will Face โ€˜Very Serious Consequencesโ€™ If He Backs Democrats

President Trump warned that Musk could face โ€œserious consequencesโ€ if he decides to back Democratic political candidates in upcoming elections.

Judge Declines to Block Trump Admin From Dismantling Library Services Agency

A federal judge cleared the way for the Trump admin to move forward with plan to dismantle the federal agency that funds libraries nationwide.

Supreme Court to Review Alabamaโ€™s Death Row Case Concerning IQ Test

The Supreme Court will consider how courts should weigh multiple IQ tests when assessing a death row defendantโ€™s claim of intellectual disability.

US Travel Ban Will Not Hinder Los Angeles Olympics, LA28 CEO Says

Trumpโ€™s directive banning citizens from 12 countries from entering US exempts athletes. Officials confident Games have full backing of administration.

Musk Mulls New Political Party Amid Feud With Trump

Elon Musk is considering launching a new political party in wake of his public fallout with President Trump over a major Republican tax and spending bill.

Citigroup Reverses Course on Controversial Firearm Policies

Citigroup reversed its policy requiring retail business clients to refrain from selling firearms to those who havenโ€™t passed background checks.

AI Is Taking Thousands of Jobs; Is Yours at Risk?

Just as the internet radically changed how America conducts business, AI is also making waves in the workplace by taking thousands of jobs.
spot_img

Related Articles