The former surgeon general issued a warning.
Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy is calling on lawmakers to take more decisive action to protect children from the risks associated with social media use. In a recent interview on NBC News’ Meet the Press, Murthy criticized Congress for not addressing what he sees as a growing crisis affecting young people.
Murthy, who served under the Obama and Biden administrations, is urging Congress to enact legislation requiring social media platforms to display warning labels about their potential impact on children. He also wants greater transparency from technology companies so that researchers can better understand how internet use affects kids’ mental health and well-being.
Drawing a comparison to early automobile safety, Murthy explained that just as safety features like seat belts and airbags drastically reduced fatalities on the road, similar protections are needed for social media users—especially children. “Right now, it’s like putting kids in cars without any safety measures and letting them drive on roads with no rules, which is unacceptable,” he said.
Two bills aimed at safeguarding children online—the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0)—have been introduced in Congress. While both have gained bipartisan support in the Senate, neither has yet passed the House. KOSA would require social media companies to block harmful content from reaching minors, while COPPA 2.0 seeks to raise the minimum age for data collection from 12 to 17 and restrict targeted advertising. However, some critics worry these laws could lead to excessive censorship and have raised concerns that have slowed legislative progress.
Murthy also highlighted increasing rates of loneliness and mental health challenges among children, noting that many kids feel pressure to present a false image online and lack meaningful in-person friendships. This, he explained, contributes to growing feelings of isolation and deteriorating self-esteem, particularly because young brains are still developing and are more vulnerable to social comparison and influence.
Supporting Murthy’s concerns, former U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy, now a mental health advocate, emphasized the nation’s failure to protect children’s futures adequately. He suggested establishing a prevention fund to invest in early mental health interventions, aiming to identify and assist at-risk youth before problems escalate.
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