US Surgeon General Calls for Social Media Warning Labels

TapTechNews June 18th news, the 21st US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress yesterday (June 17th) to pass legislation to require social media platforms to add warning labels like cigarettes and alcohol.

Murthy called for labels to be placed on social media websites and apps to remind users that long-term use may harm their mental health and regularly remind parents and teenagers that social media has not been proven safe.

Murthy cited the 2019 American Medical Association study report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), which showed that the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms among teenagers who spend 3 hours a day on social media doubles. As of the summer of 2023, teenagers in this age group use social media on average 4.8 hours a day.

Murthy pointed out that after the US Congress mandated the placement of warning labels on tobacco products in 1965, it raised public awareness of this issue and changed their behavior, so by adding labels to social media, it can play a warning role.

TapTechNews note: Vivek Hallegere Murthy (English: Vivek Hallegere Murthy, born July 10, 1977) is an American doctor and a rear admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and the current US Surgeon General (21st).

Murthy is the first Indian-American Surgeon General, and during his first term as Surgeon General, he was also the youngest active-duty flag officer in the US uniformed services.