Vivek Murthy, the current United States Surgeon General, is urging Congress to take action and introduce a warning label for social media platforms such as Facebook and X/Twitter.
In a new op-ed published by the New York Times, Murthy's proposal sounds like the warning labels found on tobacco products, but this new label would warn users that social media usage is not good for their mental health.
"The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor," Murthy penned in the NYT op-ed. "Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, and the average daily use in this age group, as of the summer of 2023, was 4.8 hours. Additionally, nearly half of adolescents say social media makes them feel worse about their bodies."
Murthy has previously been critical of social media's suggested adverse effects, particularly in adolescents and teenagers. In 2023, Murthy published a 19-page report in which he cited a "profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being" of minors.
Over the years, the use of social media and its potential negative toll on children and teenagers has been a hot topic of discussion. Over several years, there have been studies and reports published that support and deny that there is a correlation between social media and the mental health crisis in minors. Among some of the reasons some argue that social media is bad for minors include issues with body image, online harassment, and exploitation.
Murthy also wrote that alongside warning labels, he wants Congress to introduce legislation that would "shield" minors from cyberbullying, abuse, exploitation, and "from exposure to extreme violence and sexual content that too often appears" in social media algorithms.
Other proposals Murthy argued in the op-ed include barring these tech companies from collecting children's data, limiting the number of features accessible to children, such as infinite scrolling and push notifications, and mandating social media companies allow independent safety audits to be conducted and share data they have on health effects with independent scientists and the public.
Murthy also proposed legislation requiring social media companies like Meta to share "all of their data" about health effects with independent scientists, in addition to the public, and allow for independent safety audits to be conducted. "While the platforms claim they are making their products safer, Americans need more than words. We need proof," Murthy wrote.
Image credit: Slaven Vlasic / Stringer / Getty Images
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
