By Hank Russell
On September 10, New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) co-led a bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general in urging Congress to implement warning labels on social media platforms as called for by the United States Surgeon General. A surgeon general’s warning label, which requires congressional authorization, would serve as a regular reminder of social media’s significant mental health harms for adolescents.
In a letter to Congress, James and the coalition echoed United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s call back in June for a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, noting that such a warning would both highlight the inherent risks of social media, while also complementing ongoing efforts to spur research and investments in the oversight of platforms.
In light of social media platforms’ unwillingness to fix the problem on their own, the 42 attorneys general underscored the need for federal action to combat the growing mental health crisis. The coalition also urged Congress to consider further measures to protect children from the potential harms of social media, recognizing the recent Senate passage of the Kids Online Safety Act.
James co-led the letter alongside the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oregon, and Tennessee. Also signing the letter are the attorneys general of Alabama, American Samoa, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
“Young people across our country are struggling, and these addictive social media algorithms are only making this mental health crisis worse,” James said. “New York has led the nation in our efforts to protect kids from online harm, but everyone needs to know the risk associated with these social media platforms. The Surgeon General’s recommendation is a strong first step in that direction, and I hope warning labels will be implemented swiftly to raise more awareness about this issue.”
This article originally appeared in Long Island Life & Politics. For more from LILP, visit them online at lilifepolitics.com.
