Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to put a warning label on social media apps while asserting that the mental health crisis among young people is “an emergency.”
In an op-ed for the New York Times, Murthy cited multiple studies linking high social media usage with adverse mental health effects in the youth population.
Using social media for three hours a day doubles the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, while nearly half of teenagers say social media makes them feel worse about their bodies.
The warning label proposed by Murthy would be similar to that used for cigarettes and alcohol and likewise requires congressional action. Though this admirable pronouncement may theoretically never yield its desired outcome, Congress should heed Murthy’s words given the context behind them.
Tobacco studies have shown that warning labels are effective in prompting people to alter their behavior. 76% of Latino parents responded affirmatively when asked if a warning label from the surgeon general would incite them to monitor or limit their child’s use of social media.
Murthy drew a connection between this dilemma and the high level of car crash-related deaths that occurred in the mid- to late 20th century when lawmakers efficiently passed legislation to regulate seat belts and airbags.
Though they both existentially threaten safety and feature myriad opportunities for government intervention, this social media-induced emergency is far more sinister and involves corporate influence.
While parents know the risks of driving without a seat belt, they’re in uncharted territory regarding Instagram and TikTok. These apps are new and so are their detrimental effects. Anxiety and depression are no doubt objectively alarming, but Murthy also wrote, “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.”
Also central to the problem is that the technology companies behind these apps are financially incentivized to see our country’s young people glued to their screens. A Gallup poll found that teenagers spend almost five hours a day on social media. That statistic is terrifying for parents, but product engineers in Silicon Valley just see it as the cost of doing business.
Social media addiction is their business model. These algorithms are designed to keep us scrolling so that their advertising revenue keeps streaming in. The status quo has been to sacrifice our children’s health and safety in the name of allowing these large technology companies to maximize profits, but Murthy and other leaders are on top of the issue.
Gov. Ron Desantis (R-FL) signed a bill in March that prohibits children under 14 from using social media. The move makes life much easier for parents struggling to cope with their child’s screen time.
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And though members from both sides of the aisle grilled Snapchat, TikTok, and other companies about issues regarding children and social media, DeSantis’s bill proves that Republicans are leading the charge with this issue. That shouldn’t be much of a surprise — the Democratic Party lets human traffickers stream into our cities and wants your child being taught about sex at school.
They talk a lot about fighting on the side of the “oppressed” and the “marginalized,” but yet time and time again, they do too little to protect the most vulnerable.