Surgeon General Urges Congress to Require Social Media Warning Labels, Like Those on Cigarettes

The US surgeon general has called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms similar to those now mandatory on cigarette boxes.

In an opinion piece published Monday in The New York Times, Dr. Vivek Murthy said social media is a contributing factor to the mental health crisis among young people.

“It is time to demand a warning label from the surgeon general on social media platforms stating that social media is associated with significant harm to adolescent mental health. A warning label from the surgeon general, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and teens that social media has not been proven safe,” Murthy said. “Evidence from tobacco studies shows that warning labels can raise awareness and change behaviors.”

Murthy said using a warning label alone would not make social media safe for young people, but it would be part of necessary steps.

The use of social media is prevalent among young people, with up to 95% of young people with ages 13 to 17 saying they use a social media platform, and more than a third saying they use social media “almost constantly,” according to 2022 data from the Pew Research Center.

Last year Murthy warned that there was insufficient evidence to show that social media It is safe for children and teenagers. He said at the time that lawmakers needed to address the harms of social media in the same way they regulate things like car seats, baby formula, medicines and other products that children use.

To comply with federal regulations, social media companies already prohibit children under the age of 13 from signing up for their platforms – but it has been shown that children can easily circumvent the bans, both with and without parental consent.

Other measures that social platforms have taken to respond to concerns about children’s mental health can also be easily circumvented. For example, TikTok introduced a standard 60 minute time limit for users under 18 years of age. But once the limit is reached, minors can simply enter a password to continue watching.

Murthy believes the impact of social media on young people should be a more pressing concern.

“Why can’t we respond to social media harms when they are no less urgent or widespread than those caused by unsafe cars, planes or food? of releasing powerful technology without adequate security measures, transparency or accountability,” he wrote.

In January, the CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media companies appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify as parents worry they are not doing enough to protect young people. Executives praised their platforms’ existing safety tools and the work they’ve done with nonprofits and law enforcement to protect minors.

Murthy said Monday that Congress needs to implement legislation that protects young people from online harassment, abuse and exploitation and from exposure to extreme violence and sexual content.

“Measures must prevent platforms from collecting sensitive data from children and must restrict the use of features such as push notifications, autoplay and infinite scrolling, which attack developing brains and contribute to excessive use,” Murthy wrote.

The surgeon general also recommends that companies be required to share all of their data on health effects with independent scientists and the public, which they currently do not, and allow for independent safety audits.

Murthy said that schools and parents also need to participate in providing phone-free hours and that doctors, nurses and other clinicians should help guide families to safer practices.