U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Monday called on Congress to require a tobacco-style warning for visitors to social media platforms.
In an op-ed published in The New York Times , Murthy said the mental health crisis among young people is an urgent problem, with social media “an important contributor.” He said his vision of the warning includes language that would alert users to the potential mental health harms of the websites and apps. "A surgeon general’s warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe," he wrote.
Tune in to “TODAY” at 7 a.m. ET/6 a.
m. CT Monday for an exclusive interview with Murthy. In 1965, after the previous year’s landmark report from Surgeon General Luther L.
Terry that linked cigarette smoking to lung cancer and heart disease, Congress mandated unprecedented warning labels on packs of cigarettes , the first of which stated, “Caution: Cigarette Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health.” Murthy said in the op-ed, “Evidence from tobacco labels shows that surgeon general’s warnings can increase awareness and change behavior.” But he acknowledged the limitations and said a label alone wouldn't make social media safe.
Steps can be taken by Congress, social media companies, parents and others to mitigate the risks, ensure a safer experience online and protect children from possible harm, he wrote. In the op-ed, Murthy linked the amount of .