The U.S. surgeon general is calling for a warning label on social media alerting users that 鈥渟ocial media is associated with significant mental health harms in adolescents.鈥�
In a said there is enough evidence mounting that shows a connection between social media and adolescents鈥� deteriorating mental health that a surgeon general鈥檚 warning label鈥攕imilar to what appears on cigarette packages鈥攊s warranted.
鈥淥ne of the most important lessons I learned in medical school was that in an emergency, you don鈥檛 have the luxury to wait for perfect information,鈥� Murthy wrote in the New York Times. 鈥淵ou assess the available facts, you use your best judgment, and you act quickly.鈥�
Murthy had already signaled his concerns with the potentially harmful effects of social media on kids and teens when he issued an advisory last year warning about the risks social media poses to youth mental health.
A surgeon general鈥檚 warning label, though, would have to be approved by Congress before it could be applied to social media platforms.
Many educators say that social media鈥攁nd students鈥� near-constant access to it via cellphones鈥攈as become a major challenge for schools. More than 200 school districts have sued the major social media companies, claiming that they have created highly addictive products that are damaging students鈥� mental health, leaving schools to deal with the fallout.
Four years ago, nearly 100 school districts used a similar argument in lawsuits against e-cigarette manufacturers, claiming the problems the hard-to-detect tobacco products caused amounted to a public nuisance. A class action lawsuit against JUUL was settled in 2022.
State and federal efforts to curb social media use among youth
Some state and federal lawmakers are also trying to restrict young kids鈥� access to social media, with the aim of improving their mental health, adding to the mounting pressure on social media companies.
For their part, social media companies say they are taking steps to protect their youngest users鈥� safety and well-being on their platforms through parental controls, age-verification features, and time-management tools.
There is evidence that warning labels like those on tobacco products can change people鈥檚 behavior, Murthy wrote in the New York Times. And he pointed to a recent survey of Latino parents showing that three-quarters said they would limit or monitor their children鈥檚 social media use if they saw a surgeon general鈥檚 warning on the platforms used by their families.
Murthy did concede in the opinion essay that a warning label would not completely negate the harms and challenges presented by social media, a sentiment echoed by educators.
Michael Lubelfeld is the superintendent of North Shore School District 112 in a suburb of Chicago, and his district is among those suing the social media companies over the youth mental health crisis. He鈥檚 unsure the warning label will make a difference, although he said he applauds the surgeon general鈥檚 effort.
鈥淏ecause to some degree the cat鈥檚 already out of the bag, there鈥檚 tremendous usage among children who are having a very difficult time dealing with it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that parents are always aware of what their kids are doing on their smartphones.鈥�
A warning label would help raise awareness, said Beth Houf, the principal of Capital City High School in Jefferson, Mo.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a step in helping the situation, but there is more that needs to be done,鈥� she said.
Houf, who has also led elementary and middle schools in her career, said she鈥檚 seen the negative effects social media has on students鈥� mental health worsen over the 17 years she鈥檚 been a principal. Despite the cyberbullying and the unhealthy comparisons kids make of each other on social media, they can鈥檛 seem to turn away from these platforms, she said.
鈥淲hen you hear something or have a vibration in your pocket, the fear that you鈥檙e missing out on something you feel like you have to engage with鈥攖hat makes it harder to pay attention in the classroom,鈥� she said.
Anjali Verma, a rising senior at Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School, a statewide charter school, also thinks a warning label alone won鈥檛 make a big difference.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a good place to start, but it鈥檚 a small step,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut I think it鈥檚 important still to have that moment of reflection.鈥�
Anjali uses a mindfulness app on her phone that prompts her to practice a breathing exercise before opening a social media app. She said that pause makes her stop and think about why she鈥檚 getting on the app and what she鈥檒l get out of it, which she has found helpful. A warning label may have the same effect, she said.
Seeing the good and bad of social media
Anjali pointed out that there is an assumption from adults that social media is nothing but bad for adolescents. She, and many of her peers, see the impact of social media on their lives as much more nuanced鈥攂oth good and bad.
鈥淪ocial media is more than TikTok dances,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think in terms of advocacy and creating social change, social media has been instrumental.鈥�
Murthy said social media platforms should also not be allowed to collect sensitive data from children nor use manipulative features like algorithms, push notifications, and the infinite scroll, which all 鈥渃ontribute to excessive use.鈥� Murthy also renewed his calls for social media companies to share their data on the health effects of their products with independent scientists and the public.
But schools and parents also have roles to play, Murthy said.
鈥淪chools should ensure that classroom learning and social time are phone-free experiences,鈥� he said. 鈥淧arents, too, should create phone-free zones around bedtime, meals, and social gatherings to safeguard their kids鈥� sleep and real-life connections鈥攂oth of which have direct effects on mental health.鈥�
