Common Sense Media Supports Surgeon General’s Call for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms
WASHINGTON, June 17, 2024 – Dr. Vivek Murthy, the United States' top health official, today announced in an essay for the New York Times that social media platforms should carry a warning label to advise parents about the harms of usage on youth mental health. Casting the effects of social media on children and teenagers as a public health risk, on par with road fatalities or contaminated food, Murthy announced that he will push for congressional action to remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proven safe.
In response, Founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, James P. Steyer, issued the following statement:
"Dr. Murthy has been very thoughtful and diligent about communicating the harms he sees that kids and teens face online, and we absolutely agree that a warning label is justified. We share the same concern that parents aren't always aware of the severe negative impacts that social media use can have on adolescent mental health and well-being. At the same time, and as Dr. Murthy acknowledges in his piece, a warning label is not a substitute for legislation to require social media companies to change the way they design and operate their platforms to better protect kids and teens. That's why we just helped to pass legislation in NY, Maryland, and Colorado to safeguard kids' privacy and change social media platform behavior. And that is why we are continuing to press Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and an update to the federal children's privacy law, COPPA.
"Congress needs to take action, not just accept apologies from tech CEOs. And at the same time, we encourage families to heed the Surgeon General's advice: create more spaces in your daily lives that are free from digital devices, social media, and persistent notifications. Several years ago, we launched the "Device Free Dinner" campaign for that very reason, and our digital citizenship curriculum teaches kids about a healthy digital diet. More than 1.2 million teachers use our resources in schools, and tens of millions of parents use them at home to help establish healthy tech practices in their lives. So there is great value in having a warning label, and in education and awareness, but in the end, young people need their representatives in government to protect them. We need the large-scale impact that comes from legislation to force companies to once and for all get on the side of our kids and teens and do their part to protect the next generation."
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