Senator Marsha Blackburn, cosponsor of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act, praised surgeon general Vivek Murthy.
Republican Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn gave rare praise to a Biden official on Monday after the U.S. surgeon general called on Congress to require social media platforms to display health warnings.
In a Monday opinion piece published in The New York Times, titled « Why I’m Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms », surgeon general Dr. Vivek Murthy, who was nominated by President Joe Biden in 2020, explains how social media has become an increasing contributing factor in affecting mental health in young people.
« It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents. A surgeon general’s warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe. Evidence from tobacco studies show that warning labels can increase awareness and change behavior », Murthy wrote.
According to Yale Medicine, the impact of social media on mental health is a significant concern as excessive use can lead to issues like disrupted sleep, attention problems, and exposure to harmful content. Some studies link heavy social media use to increased anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.
