Should Social Media Have a Surgeon General Warning?

In a letter, 42 U.S. Attorneys General (AG) urged Congress to mandate Surgeon General warnings on social media platforms to address the mental health crisis among American youth. They cited links between algorithm-driven social media and psychological harm, arguing that state efforts have been insufficient.

The Details: The AGs, aligning with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's advocacy, noted that social media use has contributed to rising rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts in youth. They also pointed to sleep disruption and the exploitation of self-esteem issues, citing links between these issues and algorithm-driven social media. Despite existing state regulations, they called for a unified federal approach.

For Context: This push follows several state efforts, including lawsuits against Meta and legislative actions like the Kids Online Safety Act.

How the Media Covered It: News outlets across the political spectrum highlighted the concerns. Yahoo News (Lean Left bias) emphasized the consensus on the need for federal intervention, focusing on the research connecting social media and psychological harm in young people. ZeroHedge (Lean Right bias) was more skeptical of the move, raising concerns about potential censorship under the guise of regulation. This was the trend, with other outlets on the left omitting any mention of censorship and outlets on the right tending to highlight it along with other concerns. An editor wrote this summary with the help of AllSides AI.