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US Surgeon General makes case for health warnings on social media apps


A senior US health official has made the case for cigarette-style health warning labels to be applied to social media apps.

In an op-ed piece for the New York Times, Dr. Vivek Murthy appealed for the step to be taken for users to be reminded that online platforms are “associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents.” “Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms,” stated Dr Murthy. Any proposed legislation would need to be passed by Congress with a fraught political battle likely to be played out, in addition to fierce resistance from social media giants such as Meta, TikTok, and X.

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