Social media warning labels may help healthier online use 'go viral'

Social media in small doses can be beneficial — at least, more than junk food — for many adolescents and young adults. They can express themselves, find others with shared interests or cultural and racial backgrounds, keep in touch with friends who have moved away and watch informational videos about different parts of the world and current events.

But too many clicks of a mouse are as corrosive to a child's mental health as a steady diet of Big Macs, Doritos and Oreos.

Or cigarettes, as the country's top doctor, Vivek Murthy, has suggested, calling on Congress to place tobacco-style warning labels on social media platforms stating the risks. "Evidence from tobacco studies show that warning labels can increase awareness and change behavior," Murthy wrote in his June op-ed in the The New York Times.

Earlier this month, 42 state attorneys general — including Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul — sent a letter to congressional leaders backing Murthy's proposal. "[W]e sometimes disagree about important issues, but all of us share an abiding concern for the safety of the kids in our jurisdictions — and algorithm-driven social media platforms threaten that safety," the bipartisan group wrote.

It's an idea worth serious discussion, because Murthy isn't blowing smoke. Research is linking potential detrimental effects — such as depression and anxiety — of social media on young minds. Law enforcement and school officials often warn parents about other dangers, such as potential exposure to sexual predators and bullies who hide behind laptop screens to target and victimize children.

What does Gen Z think?

Plenty of young people are also ready to discuss the negative impact of social media, including body dysmorphia and sleep deprivation. As it turns out, a new survey shows sometimes they wish it would all go away. Nearly half of Gen Zers who took participated in a recent survey conducted by The Harris Poll said they wished Tik Tok, Snapchat and X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, didn't exist. Almost half — 45% — also said they'd never give their children a smartphone before they enter high school, and more than half — 57% — support parental restrictions on cellphones for those under 14.

This is a generation that has never known a world without selfies, used a rotary phone or changed the TV channel without a remote. They know best how easy it is to be sucked into the social media rabbit hole and linger there for hours. And it shows: Over 60% of Gen Z spends at least four hours a day on social media, the Harris Poll revealed; alarmingly, 22% spend more than seven hours a day online.

While more social media use doesn't automatically lead to an increase in depressive symptoms over time, young adults who are depressed do tend to spend more time on social media, a Johns Hopkins Children’s Center study published in May found.

A warning about the mental health risks associated with social media would be no different from a movie rating that helps parents decide if a film is appropriate for their children. It would also remind adults about the risks of doomscrolling and endlessly refreshing Facebook and Instagram feeds, since age doesn't build up immunity against the anxiety and depression tied to social media use.

Don’t ignore IRL impact

Murthy's proposal would likely face a challenge in the courts if Congress were to approve such a measure. We're presuming it would get push-back from tech platform owners, as well as for Murthy's other "asks" that would require tech companies to share their data on the health effects of social media with independent scientists and the public and permit independent safety audits.

For now, Murthy has those 42 attorneys general on his side. "A warning would not only highlight the inherent risks that social media platforms presently pose for young people, but also complement other efforts to spur attention, research, and investment into the oversight of social media platforms," they wrote. Last October, dozens of those same attorneys general — Raoul among them — sued Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, accusing it of harming kids by building addictive features into its platforms.

Washington lawmakers should not ignore the IRL — that's social media slang for "in real life," — problem social media poses and consider the possibility.

Warning labels alone won't eradicate the destructive potential of social media, Murthy even concedes.

But it would be akin to putting a DM (direct message for those unfamiliar with social media-speak) on blast for mass consumption, regularly reminding everyone, not just teenagers, that logging off might be the best way to stay connected and nourish their mental well-being.

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