US Surgeon General wants tobacco-like health labels on social media

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy wants health labels to be shown on social media. He wants this because he is concerned about the possible negative effects of social media on the mental health of young people.

Murthy placed the call an opinion piece in The New York Times. According to the Surgeon General, the chief health adviser to the US federal government, there has been extensive research into the danger that social media poses to the mental health of teenagers. “This harm is not the result of a lack of willpower or education; it is the result of unleashing powerful technology without adequate safeguards, transparency or accountability,” Murthy said.

Murthy says social media companies also need to work more closely with medical researchers. According to him, companies should be obliged to share data on health effects with independent researchers and the public. They must also allow independent safety audits, he says. “Social media has been a major contributor to our youth mental health crisis. We are in the midst of an emergency and it is essential that Congress acts quickly and urgently,” Murthy said on social media.

Social media has become an important contributor to us #YouthMentalHealth crisis. We are in the middle of an emergency, and it is essential that Congress act with speed and urgency. The health and well-being of our kids is at stake. Read more: 2/2

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