Networks carry risk of 'mental health harms for adolescents,' Vivek Murthy said.
Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said the threat social media poses to children requires urgent action, and he demanded Congress to put a label on the apps as it does with cigarettes and alcohol.
But Murthy cannot act unilaterally to put a warning label on apps - that requirement would have to come from Congress, with whom Murthy pleaded to pass a bill. Congress has long chastised social media companies, claiming they pose harm to children. CEOs of tech companies have been grilled routinely on Capitol Hill, most notably Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg - who publicly apologized to families whose children killed themselves because of online bullying and harassment. But Congress has taken little action to curb children's social media usage.
In May 2023, Murthy issued an advisory that said there's not enough evidence to determine whether social media is safe enough for children and adolescents' mental health, saying social media use presents "a profound risk of harm" for kids. On CNN's "Chasing Life" podcast with Dr. Sanjay Gupta in June 2023, Murthy outlined some steps parents can take to rein in their children's social media usage, including partnering with other parents to make sure kids lack the "I'm the only one without social media" excuse.A warning label, if Congress passes legislation requiring one, would be insufficient to fix the problem, Murthy acknowledged.
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