It was only in June this year that we saw a statement put forward by American Surgeon General Vivek Murthy about how social media needs to come with warning labels. This would include the dangers they possess related to users’ health.
This suggestion was similar to that seen in tobacco products. Now, we’re hearing about a majority of other attorney generals uniting and issuing an open letter to back that recommendation, which many call a clear show of support.
Seeing the warning come from a surgeon makes all the difference and that’s why the matter is now being dealt with seriously. While lawmakers argue that it’s not the only step that would combat the problem, it’s a great start because we need to begin somewhere.
This kind of warning highlights the major risks that apps currently pose for the youth but similarly complements others’ efforts to gather attention. It similarly paves the way for more attention, research, and investments in the field related to oversight of social media apps.
Every state’s AG signing the letter can only work in favor of the issue as the generals also spoke about the Kids Online Safety Act and Teen Online Privacy Act. These were both passed before in the Senate as crucial steps to combat negative impacts on mental health.
The measures taken in the past were done to ensure young minds are protected at all times but it was not easy to get the message across the Senate. In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to add that several attempts were necessary before we saw support received on the subject. Now how long will it take for this to pass is again questionable.
Image: DIW-Aigen
Read next: Google Steps Up Security And Privacy By Enabling Simple Blocking Of Android App Sideloading
This suggestion was similar to that seen in tobacco products. Now, we’re hearing about a majority of other attorney generals uniting and issuing an open letter to back that recommendation, which many call a clear show of support.
Seeing the warning come from a surgeon makes all the difference and that’s why the matter is now being dealt with seriously. While lawmakers argue that it’s not the only step that would combat the problem, it’s a great start because we need to begin somewhere.
This kind of warning highlights the major risks that apps currently pose for the youth but similarly complements others’ efforts to gather attention. It similarly paves the way for more attention, research, and investments in the field related to oversight of social media apps.
Every state’s AG signing the letter can only work in favor of the issue as the generals also spoke about the Kids Online Safety Act and Teen Online Privacy Act. These were both passed before in the Senate as crucial steps to combat negative impacts on mental health.
The measures taken in the past were done to ensure young minds are protected at all times but it was not easy to get the message across the Senate. In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to add that several attempts were necessary before we saw support received on the subject. Now how long will it take for this to pass is again questionable.
Read next: Google Steps Up Security And Privacy By Enabling Simple Blocking Of Android App Sideloading
