Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is calling on Congress to authorize a surgeon general’s warning for social media, citing the technology as an important factor in a rising mental health crisis among children and teenagers.
“It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents,” Murthy wrote in an opinion piece published on Monday. “The moral test of any society is how well it protects its children.”
Murthy, who has emphasized the importance of mental health across all age brackets, has long been a critic of social media for youth.
Last year, Murthy warned there was insufficient evidence to show social media is safe for children and teenagers and asked policymakers to address these harms.
“Legislation from Congress should shield young people from online harassment, abuse and exploitation and from exposure to extreme violence and sexual content that too often appears in algorithm-driven feeds,” Murthy wrote on Monday in the New York Times.
Murthy wrote that to prevent social media companies from using tactics that “prey on developing brains and contribute to excessive use,” push notifications and infinite scrolling should be regulated.
Recent studies cited by Murthy indicate that adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social media double their risk of developing anxiety and depression symptoms. Most teenagers in the age bracket, however, spend an average of 4.8 hours on social media per day.
In a 2022 adolescent media use survey from Boston Children’s Hospital, which was cited by Murthy, only 17% of teenagers self-reported that they were “not at all ‘addicted’” to screen media. Nearly 48% said they check their smartphone at least every 15 minutes.
Legislation pending in Congress, such as the Kids Online Safety Act, is intended to take measures to allow parents more supervision of their children’s online activities, but Murthy said a surgeon general warning would be an added measure.
Murthy equated the proposed surgeon general’s warning to that issued for tobacco in 1964, which was proven over time to increase awareness of the dangers of the substance and change social norms.
“One of the worst things for a parent is to know your children are in danger yet be unable to do anything about it,” Murthy wrote. “That is how parents tell me they feel when it comes to social media — helpless and alone in the face of toxic content and hidden harms.”
Murthy recommended that schools and parents take action by creating phone-free environments for children and teenagers, as well as delaying smartphone or social media access until after middle school.
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“This is much easier said than done, which is why parents should work together with other families to establish shared rules, so no parents have to struggle alone or feel guilty when their teens say they are the only one who has to endure limits,” Murthy wrote.
Murthy’s recommendations are similar to those proposed by New York University professor Jonathan Haidt in his latest book, The Anxious Generation. Haidt did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.