Surgeon General Wants to Put a Warning Label on Social Media

So far in our lifetimes, we have seen warning labels placed on a lot of things that we use everyday.

From cigarettes to music that we purchase, a warning label exists to let us know of the risks we are taking if using said product.

According to AP News, the U.S. surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms and their effects on young people’s lives.

In an opinion piece posted to the New York Times, the surgeon general claims that social media is a contributing factor to the mental health crisis going on in America with our youth.

Murthy said in a strong-worded letter, "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."

Not just any warning label, but an official U.S. surgeon general cigarette-like label on all social media platforms.

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

Would a Surgeon General Label on Social Media Actually Work?

Murthy continued, "Evidence from tobacco studies show that warning labels can increase awareness and change behavior."

Josh Golin, executive director at Fairplay, an organization that is dedicated to ending marketing to children, has a strong opinion on this.

"Social media today is like tobacco decades ago," he states. "It’s a product whose business model depends on addicting kids. And as with cigarettes, a surgeon general’s warning label is a critical step toward mitigating the threat to children."

Getting cigarette-like warning labels on social media would be a challenging feat to complete, though. Even with Congressional approval, warning labels would likely be challenged in the courts by tech companies.