US Surgeon General Calls for Social Media Warning Labels

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Facts

US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has called on Congress to add warning labels to social media platforms, similar to the ones on cigarettes and alcohol, due to their reported adverse impact on adolescents.¹
In an op-ed in The New York Times on Monday, Murthy warned that 'social media has emerged as an important contributor' to the mental health crisis among young Americans.²
He also said a surgeon general's warning label would 'remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe.' A similar label has reportedly caused tobacco smoking to decline starting in 1965.³
Last year, Murthy warned that social media could have a 'profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children,' conceding that there's not enough evidence to determine whether social media is 'safe' for adolescents.⁴
In his 2023 advisory, Murthy called on legislators, parents, and minors to adopt safeguards that could reduce potential risks to children and adolescents.⁵
He also advised social media firms to prioritize users' safety and privacy in product designs and asked for minimum age requirements to be enforced.⁶

Narrative A, as provided by Cleveland Clinic. Despite social media platforms establishing age minimums, nearly 40% of kids aged 8-12 and 95% aged 13-17 use social media in the US. If a government label will inspire better communication between parents and their wards, they should be added to the platforms. Children must be better protected.
Narrative B, as provided by Inews.Co.Uk. There's no reason to add a warning label to these platforms since there's no evidence that social media considerably impacts teenagers' mental health. Children's mental health issues are more often related to socio-economic factors than social media use itself. The focus must be on how social media is used rather than just the time spent.