US surgeon general calls for social media platforms to display mental health warnings

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy argued social media companies should be required to display mental health warnings about the use of their platforms.

Murthy argued in an op-ed for the New York Times that the platforms have been particularly harmful for young Americans. The official first sounded the alarm about social media last year when he called on Congress to enact policies that would prevent adolescents from being exposed to extreme violent and sexual content via algorithms.

"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. A surgeon general’s warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe," Murthy wrote. 

"Evidence from tobacco studies show that warning labels can increase awareness and change behavior. When asked if a warning from the surgeon general would prompt them to limit or monitor their children’s social media use, 76 percent of people in one recent survey of Latino parents said yes," he added.

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"Legislation from Congress 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. 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," he continued.

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Murthy went on to argue that social media companies should be required to hand over all of their data on the health effects of their platforms with independent scientists.

"The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor. 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," he wrote.

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Murthy clarified that a warning on social media would not be enough to protect young people on its own. Legislation would be required on both the federal and state levels.