Vivek H. Murthy, the U.S. surgeon general, has called for social media platforms to include health warnings for younger users in an op-ed published in The New York Times. In the article, he emphasized the significant mental health risks associated with social media use by adolescents and urged social media companies to prioritize safety and privacy in their product designs and enforce minimum age requirements to protect young users.
Murthy’s office issued an advisory last year on the potential effects of social media on teenage users, highlighting the need for companies to take responsibility for the well-being of their young users. This is an evolving situation, and updates may follow. ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway, Dr. Amanda Kravitz, and Dr. Mariam Gomaa have contributed to this report.