U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called on Congress to place a warning label on social media platforms. According to Dr. Murthy, social media contributes to the mental health crisis among children and adolescents. Read on to learn more.
Teenagers who spend more than 3 hours a day surfing the Internet have double the risk of mental health problems
The top US medical official has called on the government to add warning labels to social media websites for teenagers, even as there has been a significant rise in mental health problems among them.
Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said social media is a contributing factor to mental health crises among many young people, in an op-ed he wrote for the New York Times earlier this week. “It is time to demand a surgeon general warning label on social media platforms stating that social media is associated with significant harm to adolescent mental health,” Murthy wrote.
“A surgeon general warning label, which requires congressional action, would periodically remind parents and teens that social media has not been proven safe. Evidence from tobacco studies shows that warning labels can increase awareness and change behavior. Murthy cited research published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry showing that teenagers who spend more than three hours a day using the Internet have twice the risk of mental health problems, including depression and anxiety.
Studies have found that more than 40 percent of teens said social media made them feel worse about their bodies, while 32 percent agree that social media negatively affected their grades in school. According to statistics, American teenagers spend an average of 4.8 hours a day on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
How would a warning label help?
According to Murthy, a warning label “would periodically remind parents and teens that social media has not been proven to be safe.” Experts believe that although warning labels may not cause young people to completely abandon social media, they could significantly reduce the amount of time they spend.
Last year, Murthy issued an advisory that there was no data showing that social media is safe and that “there is growing evidence that social media use is associated with harm to young people’s mental health.” The notice called on policymakers and technology companies to take steps to protect the safety and health of children and adolescents. He also suggested ways for parents and young people to support healthy use of social media.
According to media reports, many US states have been working to pass laws that protect children from the harmful effects of being online most of the time, such as anxiety and depression. This month, New York state lawmakers passed legislation to prohibit social media platforms from exposing “addictive” algorithmic content to users under 18 without parental consent.
Why is excessive use of social networks a problem??
According to mental health experts, excessive social media use harms teenagers by disrupting important healthy behaviors. Many studies say that exposure to social media, even if necessary, can overstimulate the brain’s reward center, and when the stimulation becomes excessive, it can trigger pathways comparable to addiction.
Overuse has also been linked to:
- Insomnia
- Attention problems
- Feelings of exclusion in adolescents
- Increased anger and aggression.
- Eating disorders
- Vision and eye problems.
