US Surgeon General wants Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms to have tobacco-like warning labels

US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy is calling for a change in how social media interacts with the youth. He has urged Congress to make it mandatory for social media platforms to display warning labels (similar to those found on tobacco and alcohol products) that will highlight the potential mental health risks associated with excessive use.

These proposed labels aim to raise awareness among both parents and adolescent users about the potential negative impacts of social media on mental health.Murthy hopes that by increasing transparency and prompting reflection on usage habits, these warnings will encourage healthier online behaviour.
Apart from these warning labels, Murthy has also called for legislation that will protect young users from online harassment, abuse, exploitation, and exposure to extreme violence and sexual content on social media.

Murthy said that these protections alongside others that recommend banning platforms from collecting children’s data and restricting features like push notifications, autoplay, and infinite scroll should also be implemented. This social media feature “prey on developing brains and contribute to excessive use,” Murthy pointed out.
He also wants the US government to force social media companies to allow independent safety audits and share the data related to health effects with independent scientists and the public.

In an article published in The New York Times, Murthy wrote: “The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor.”
He also cited studies that have found almost half of adolescents say social media gives them body image issues and that those who spend over three hours a day on it are twice as likely to face symptoms of anxiety and depression.
In May 2023, Murthy issued another advisory while acknowledging that the subject wasn’t fully understood. At that time, he warned that social media poses a “profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.”