Surgeon General Calls for Cigarette-Style Warnings on Social Media Platforms to Protect Kids

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says the risks posed by social media to young people’s mental health are so severe that platforms should be required to carry warnings labels like those on alcohol and tobacco products.

“The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency—and social media has emerged as an important contributor,” Dr. Murthy wrote in a New York Times op-ed Monday, citing studies linking adolescent social media use with increased risk of mental health issues.