look news india
Indian-origin Surgeon General of the US, Dr Vivek Murthy, has demanded that there should be a warning label on social media apps that these platforms can harm youth, especially teenagers.
Dr. Murthy wrote in the New York Times that warning labels would not only make social media safer for young people, but it could also raise awareness and lead to behavior changes, as tobacco studies show. The US Congress would need to pass a law requiring such warning labels. Dr. Murthy has long warned that social media can adversely affect the mental health of young people, especially teenage girls. According to Dr. Murthy, just as tobacco products were identified as a health risk in the 1960s and warning labels were made mandatory on cigarette packages, social media platforms can also pose a major mental health risk. Teens who spend three hours a day on social media double their risk of depression.
In his article, Dr. Murthy said that now is the 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. The Surgeon General's warning label will regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proven to be safe. It is worth noting that many US states are working towards passing laws to protect children from the harmful effects of social media such as anxiety and depression and other mental illnesses that result from it. New York state legislators passed a law banning social media platforms from providing addictive algorithmic content to users under the age of 18 without parental consent.
What dangers does social media pose to teens?
Several health reports suggest that social media is linked to mental health problems in teens including depression, anxiety and insomnia. Social media can also be a platform for cyberbullying and pose serious safety concerns including online stalking, harassment. Users are at risk of malicious activities including cyberattacks, hacking.