Should Social Media Carry Warning Labels?

Social media is an integral part of many adolescents’ lives today. In response to concerns from parents, educators, and healthcare professionals, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek ­Murthy, MD, MBA, is advocating for warning labels on social media ­platforms. In a mid-2024 guest ­essay in The New York Times, Murthy emphasizes that social media use significantly contributes to the mental health crisis among young people.

“Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social ­media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, and the average daily use in this age group, as of the summer of 2023, was 4.8 hours,” Murthy writes. “Additionally, nearly half of adolescents report that social media makes them feel worse about their bodies.”

More than 90 percent of American teens report using at least one social media platform, with some reporting that they use YouTube and TikTok almost constantly, according to recent surveys. While these platforms offer opportunities for social interaction and self-expression, they also pose significant risks to mental and emo­tional well-being.

Psychologist Jean Twenge, PhD, has long expressed concerns about the impact of screen time on youth. She outlines the issue in her book iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy — and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood — and What That Means for the Rest of Us. Twenge’s research suggests a direct correlation between the rise in social media use and a decline in mental health among adolescents.

Parents often struggle with feelings of helplessness and isolation when contending with the toxic nature and hidden dangers of social media.

A recent study, published in Pediatric Research, found that adolescents take cues for social media usage from adults in their lives. High parental screen use and family mealtime screen use were associated with more overall problematic screen use among adolescents.

“It is important that parents act as role models for their children,” says study lead author Jason Nagata, MD. “Limiting screen use is a challenge for adults and children alike given notifications, addictive algorithms, and integration with communication and work. I do think it is important for parents to try to practice what they preach. For instance, if parents make a family rule not to use screens at mealtime, they should try to follow the rules also.”

A 2022 article in American Economic Review reports that 31 percent of the time people spend on social media is due to self-control problems; a study published in the journal ­CyberPsychology & Behavior compares addictive internet use with gambling disorder, the only formally diagnosable behavioral addiction.

Murthy explains that a surgeon general’s warning label “would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proven safe.”

In his Times essay, Murthy argues that legislation should protect young people from various online dangers. He advocates for laws to shield children from online harassment, abuse, and exploitation, and from exposure to extreme violence and sexual content.

4 Tips to Help Kids Cope With the Effects of Social Media Use and Sleep Better

Social media use can disrupt teens’ sleep patterns, two recent studies find, as many teenagers stay up late to scroll through their feeds. This lack of sleep may partly contribute to the negative effect that excessive screen time has on academic performance and overall physical health.

A study published in the journal Sleep Health in 2023 analyzed data on bedtime screen-use behaviors and sleep outcomes from 10,280 adolescents aged 10 to 14. The following tips are based on the study’s findings.

1. Keep screens outside the bedroom. A TV set or internet-connected device in the bedroom is associated with a higher risk of struggling to fall or stay asleep.
2. Turn off the ringer and notifications. Leaving the phone ringer on rather than off is associated with greater overall sleep disturbance.
3. Don’t use social media or other electronic devices before going to sleep. Using social media, chatting on the internet, playing video games, browsing the internet, and watching movies, videos, or TV shows before sleeping were associated with sleep disturbances.
4. If you wake up during the night, don’t use your phone or engage with social media. This habit is associated with a higher risk of sleep troubles.

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