US Surgeon General Calls for Social Media Warnings to Combat Mental Health Crisis

Dr. Vivek Murthy, the US Surgeon General, has urged for the implementation of warning labels on social media platforms to combat the growing “mental health crisis,”similar to the warning labels found on tobacco products.

On June 17, 2024, Murthy shared his thoughts on the topic through an opinion piece published in the New York Times. In the article, he explained his motivations for advocating for the warning.

The US Surgeon General states that social media has a significant influence on almost all of its users, primarily concerning mental health issues in adolescents.

According to Murthy, adolescents who spend over three hours a day on social media have twice the chance of experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression. As of the summer of 2023, the average daily usage among this age group was 4.8 hours.

“Furthermore, almost half of teenagers report that social media has a negative impact on their body image.”

Social media has become an important contributor to our #YouthMentalHealth crisis. We are in the middle of an emergency, and it’s essential that Congress act with speed and urgency. The health and well-being of our kids is at stake.

— Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) June 17, 2024

Tobacco products display a variety of warnings from the surgeon general, such as “Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks to Your Health” and “Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, and May Complicate Pregnancy.” These warnings can be found in the document linked to here.

Murthy conducted multiple tests to evaluate the efficacy of the tobacco labels and concluded that the surgeon general’s warnings have the potential to enhance awareness and modify behavior.

According to a survey of Latino parents, 76 percent of them stated that they would limit or monitor their children’s social media use if the surgeon general issued a warning.

Vivek is urging the US Congress to approve the implementation of warnings on social media, as their approval is necessary before any changes can be made.

In addition to the US Surgeon General, other government officials are striving to improve social media for children. In March, Florida Governor Ron Desantis passed a bill prohibiting children under 14 years old from using social media in the state. The bill also requires social media platforms to delete any existing accounts belonging to underage users.