U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy asked Congress on Monday to mandate adding warning labels -- like those found on tobacco products -- to social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok so parents know the dangers their children may be facing.
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He is calling for the labels as concerns grow over social media. In a New York Times op-ed, Dr. Murthy warned that social media contributes to the urgent mental health crisis facing children today.
It’s an issue that parents see first-hand.
“I’m also a teacher and also I’m head of a school, so I realize that all students behave according to their Instagram accounts,” said one.
According to a Gallup poll, teens spend nearly 5 hours a day on apps including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.
In January, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with lawmakers and apologized to parents. Many of them blame social media for not doing enough to protect their children.
“Show him the pictures. Would you like to apologize for what you’ve done to these good people?” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, said at that hearing in January.
Zuckerberg did offer a statement, which in part said, “your families have suffered and this why we’ve invested so much so no one has to go through the kind of things your families have had to. . . .”
At that same hearing, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, said, “but the tech industry alone is not to blame for the situation we’re in. Those of us in Congress need to look in the mirror.”
Murthy said a warning label would help parents understand the risks . . . and raise awareness about the ongoing problem. He also suggests removing cell phones from schools -- and not allowing children to have social media until after middle school.
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