The Surgeon General Wants a Cigarette-Like Warning Label . . . on Social Media?
The U.S. Surgeon General has many responsibilities . . . we assume . . . but they are MOSTLY known for slapping warning labels on things like cigarettes and alcohol. And now, a NEW label may be on the way.
The current Surgeon General Vivek Murthy wants to put a warning label on . . . social media. Like, all of it, I guess.
In an op-ed in the "New York Times", Murthy said, "It is time to require a [warning label] on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents."
It may seem silly, but Murthy says a warning label would regularly remind both parents and kids that social media has not been proven safe . . . and there is data that shows the warnings on cigarettes HAVE been effective.
It's worth pointing out that 95% of teens between the ages of 13 and 17 say that they use a social media platform . . . and more than one-third say they use social media "almost constantly."
The Surgeon General actually doesn't have the authority to add his own labels. That requires a Congressional action, which means nothing will come of it.
And even if Congress did stop bickering long enough to consider this . . . a "warning label" would face SIGNIFICANT pushback from the tech companies.
Originally posted on June 18th, 2024