A Surgeon General's warning on Instagram? It may not be far off.

SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: THIS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM MAY NEGATIVELY AFFECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH.

Is this a label we may be seeing sprawled across our socials soon?

A coalition of 42 state attorneys general are pushing Congress to make that happen.

The push follows a proposal by US Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy back in June.

There have long been growing concerns about the role social media has played in exacerbating the mental health crisis among young people.

But, minimal legislative efforts have been made to slow this so far.

'In addition to the states’ historic efforts, this ubiquitous problem requires federal action — and a surgeon general’s warning on social media platforms, though not sufficient to address the full scope of the problem, would be one consequential step toward mitigating the risk of harm to youth,' the attorneys general wrote in a letter to Congress.

The warning would be similar to those found on tobacco products.

It is slowly becoming clearer that the risks social media poses to users. The risks to teens, in particular, are severe and damaging in the long-term.

According to a 2019 study by the American Medical Association, teens that spend more than three hours a day on social media double their risk of depression and anxiety symptoms. Nearly half of adolescents say it makes them feel worse about their bodies.

As of 2023, many teens are spending five hours a day (or more) on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

The correlation between social media and significant mental health harm is not news.

Eating disorders. Dissatisfaction with life. Loneliness. Cyberbullying. Depression. Anxiety. Suicide. The list of negative side effects on our youth is seemingly endless.

Don’t get me wrong here. I’m not saying it’s all bad. Social media is a space where millions of people find community, make money, and express themselves.

But we can’t deny the facts.

And the facts have led Murthy, and 42 attorneys general, to call this 'the defining public health issue of our time.'

Murthy, in a scathing op-ed, implied parallels between Big Tech and Big Tobacco. Both are multi-billion-dollar industries that prioritise profit over people’s well-being. And both are industries where impressionable youth are seen as vulnerable targets. Targets who can, ideally, become lifelong customers.

Several states have pursued legal action against social media companies in the past few years.

A 2023 lawsuit filed by 33 attorneys general accusing Meta of misleading the public about the mental health risks of its platforms.

The movement is gaining traction. But there is obviously major pushback from tech industry groups and free speech advocates, who claim limits could infringe on user’s constitutional rights. They also believe these accusations overlook social media’s ability to foster connection and community among youth.

Another major factor at play? Ad dollars.

Obviously, this is a massive contributor to the size of the world’s largest social media platforms. Collectively, these platforms attracted over $11 billion in ad revenue in 2022, according to research conducted by Harvard University.

Putting warning labels on these platforms could significantly harm their ability to collect the same level of revenue.

But the real question is, will a warning label have any kind of impact on users?

Even placing graphic warning labels (you know, the ones with the nasty teeth) on cigarette packs has shown to have no effect on smoking behaviour whatsoever. You get so used to seeing them, your brain just ends up blocking them out.

But with 1 in 5 children and adolescents globally suffering from depression and anxiety, anything is worth a shot.

-Sophie, Writer