Social media warning labels overview:ย
- Who: A coalition of 42 state attorneys general is urging Congress to mandate warning labels on social media platforms.
- Why: The attorneys general want to highlight the dangers the sites pose to young peopleโs mental health.
- Where: The warning labels would apply in the United States.
A bipartisan coalition of 42 state attorneys general is urging Congress to mandate warning labels on social media platforms, highlighting the dangers the sites pose to the mental health of young users.
Led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, the group is supporting a recent call from U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy for labels that would inform users about the potential risks associated with using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
In a statement, James emphasized the negative impact that addictive algorithms have on young peopleโs mental and physical well-being.ย
โThese manipulative features are worsening the youth mental health crisis,โ she said.
Growing concern about social mediaโs effect on youth
The push comes amid growing concern about the role of social media in fostering addiction among adolescents.
Last year, the U.S. surgeon general released a 19-page public advisory warning about the risks of potentially damaging effects on children who use social media.ย
Murthy, the surgeon general, wrote that while the effect social media has on todayโs young people is not yet fully understood, there are โample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.โ
The coalition of attorneys general believes that warning labels would serve as a critical first step in educating the public and helping to reduce social media dependency among teens. However, any such labeling would require Congress to pass new legislation.
The attorneys general are also urging lawmakers to take further action in regulating how social media platforms interact with minors.ย
They argue that both children and parents need clearer warnings about the inherent risks involved in using the platforms.
In addition to Attorney General James, signatories of the letter includes a mix of both Democratic and Republican attorneys general from states like California, Colorado, Kentucky, and Mississippi.
What do you think of having warning labels on social media sites? Let us know in the comments.
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