On June 17th, United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for warning labels to be added on social media apps to remind people of the harm these platforms can cause to young people, especially teenagers. In an article in The New York Times, Murthy expressed concern that even with warning labels, social media could still be harmful to adolescents. However, he proposed that adding these labels could raise awareness and potentially change people’s behavior. He urged the U.S. Congress to pass legislation requiring social media platforms to include such warning labels.
For years, youth advocates and lawmakers have criticized platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat for negatively impacting children, including reducing their ability to focus, promoting negative body image, making them vulnerable to cyberbullying, and even subjecting them to online predators.
Online predators, also known as online hunters or online predators, are adults who use harassment or deception to exploit children or teenagers for sexual or other inappropriate purposes on the internet.
Murthy emphasized, “It’s time to demand that social platforms include warnings from the Surgeon General pointing out the significant harm social media can pose to the mental health of adolescents.”
TikTok, Snap, and Meta Platforms did not respond to requests for comments from Reuters.
In January this year, the CEOs of Meta Platforms, Alphabet, Snap, TikTok, and Discord appeared before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to answer lawmakers’ questions. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham criticized the executives, accusing them of failing to protect young users from online predators.
Some U.S. states are actively working on legislation to protect children from the harmful effects of social media, such as anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.
New York legislators recently passed a law prohibiting social media platforms from showing “addictive” algorithmic content to users under 18 without parental consent.
In March of this year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning children under 14 from using social media platforms and requiring parental consent for children aged 14 and 15.