In the middle of a wave in a public awareness and scientific study on the effect social media applications have on the mental health of young people, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy is calling on Congress to require platforms to carry a surgeon general's warning label — similar to those found on cigarettes and alcohol.
In an article published on Monday in The New York Times, Murthy wrote that “it's time to demand a surgeon general's warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is linked to significant harm to mental health for teenagers.”
Murthy pointed to data showing that “teens who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of symptoms of anxiety and depression” and that “nearly half of teens say social media makes them feel worse for their body”.
“To be clear, a warning label would not, by itself, make social media safe for young people,” Murthy added. The Surgeon General called on Congress to pass additional measures that would “protect young people from online harassment, abuse and exploitation and from exposure to extreme violence and sexual content,” as well as “prevent platforms from collecting sensitive data from children and limit the use of features such as push notifications, autoplay and infinite scrolling.”
Murthy also voiced his support for restrictions on social media access before high school and the creation of “phone-free zones” at schools, social events and family time.
The push for tighter regulation of how social media companies can interact with American minors has been in the works for some time. In October, a coalition of 33 states sued Meta — the parent company of Facebook and Instagram — over allegations that the company had misled the public about mental health risks for youth and teens.
In 2021, a trove of internal documents which is taken with The Wall Street Journal showed that Meta – then still operating under the name Facebook Inc. – was aware of studies showing that Instagram use was linked to issues of anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia and suicidal ideation – especially among teenage girls.
“It doesn't have to be this way,” Murthy wrote. “These injuries are not a failure of will and parental care. it is the consequence of releasing powerful technology without adequate safeguards, transparency or accountability.”
“We have the expertise, resources and tools to make social media safe for our children. Now is the time to summon the will to action. The well-being of our children is at stake,” he concluded.
from our partners at https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/surgeon-general-safety-warning-social-media-apps-1235040971/