Doctor's orders
The surgeon general wants a warning label on social media for teens — but why stop there?

Vivek Murthy wants the government to stub out social media use by kids. In a New York Times op-ed, the surgeon general this week details the growing body of evidence linking TikTok, Instagram, and other apps to the mental health crisis among young people. There's the study that found adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media have double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms. Notably, the average daily use for a teenager is now about five hours. There's the survey in which nearly half of adolescents say social media makes them feel worse about their bodies. And then there are the endless anecdotes from teens who don't know how to look away from apps designed to deliver a steady scroll of dopamine hits. These platforms are engineered to be addictive, so Murthy proposes slapping an official surgeon general's warning on apps — like those on cigarettes — to "regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe."
As a worried father of two, I can only say let's do it. But why stop at warnings for kids when excessive social media use is also rotting adult brains? What about if every time Elon Musk hit post on his latest X tirade, he were to see a pop-up stating, "This message may contribute to partisan animosity and further alienate Tesla owners. Do you still want to share this thought with the world?" Or when a celebrity is about to broadcast a filter-treated beach selfie on Instagram, a banner slides across the screen cautioning, "Searching for affirmation from strangers online may only exacerbate your feelings of insecurity. Have you considered seeking the answer within?" Even passive users of social media such as myself could be targeted by such PSAs: "Your 1 a.m. doomscrolling on Reddit about impending climate apocalypse is hurting the planet. Sleep would use less power." Dr. Murthy, I'm ready for your tough medicine.
This is the editor's letter in the current issue of The Week magazine.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Theunis Bates is a senior editor at The Week's print edition. He has previously worked for Time, Fast Company, AOL News and Playboy.
-
September 7 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include stressing about Powerball, and a busy FBI schedule
-
Nvidia: unstoppable force, or powering down?
Talking Point Sales of firm's AI-powering chips have surged above market expectations –but China is the elephant in the room
-
5 hard-working cartoons about Labor Day celebrations
Cartoons Artists take on creation of AI, spelling mistakes, and more
-
Scientists are speeding up evolution
Under the radar Proteins can evolve in minutes
-
The battle of the weight-loss drugs
Talking Point Can Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly regain their former stock market glory? A lot is riding on next year's pills
-
The app tackling porn addiction
Under the Radar Blending behavioural science with cutting-edge technology, Quittr is part of a growing abstinence movement among men focused on self-improvement
-
An insatiable hunger for protein
Feature Americans can't get enough of the macronutrient. But how much do we really need?
-
How China is battling the chikungunya virus
Under The Radar Thousands of cases of the debilitating disease have been found in the country
-
The truth about sunscreen
The Explainer The science behind influencer claims that sun cream is toxic
-
Forever chemicals were found in reusable menstrual products. That is nothing new for women.
Under the Radar Toxic chemicals are all too common in such products
-
Why the FDA wants to restrict kratom-related products
In the Spotlight The compound is currently sold across the United States