US Surgeon General Wants Warning Labels on Social Media Platforms

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They're probably not going to be like the bright white, red and black warning labels we see on nearly everything from swimming pools to hair dryers, but the US Surgeon General wants them on social media platforms.

   Surgeon General believes they will help alert parents

 According to USA Today and other sources, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy wants the advisory logos on social media platforms. According to USA Today:

"Citing research that shows social media could be negatively impacting youth mental health, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy said a surgeon general's warning on social media platforms, similar to those on tobacco and alcohol products, could raise awareness for parents about the potential harm of the platforms."

Trade organization Net Choice, which represents some social media platforms, says ultimately it's up to parents to monitor and choose what kinds of social media they allow their child to be exposed to, and controlling how much and what content they view-not up to the platforms.

Social media has ingrained itself in society, and USA Today says:

"The 2023 U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health found that nearly 95% of youth aged 13 to 17 use a social media platform, with more than a third saying they use it "almost constantly."

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Advisory studies show much more work and research is needed to fully understand the full impact of social media, but they also say it can have a profound "risk and harm" to youth, teens and adolescents. Murthy did not specifically indicate what kind of warning labels he would like to see included on the platforms.