The Parents Television and Media Council applauded the introduction of the “Stop the Scroll Act,” introduced by Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), that will create a “mental health warning label requirement for social media platforms.”
“Teens using social media can quickly become bombarded with unhealthy and harmful messages, leading to poor mental health. It’s imperative to do all we can to protect our youth and adding warning labels is a common-sense way to help,” said Melissa Henson, vice president, Parents Television and Media Council.
“Big Tech continues to profit from our children instead of prioritizing their protection. Children have died because of social media harms; youth have been exposed to predators, graphic sexual content, extreme violence, eating disorder content, and other ills. It’s past time for Big Tech to move towards increased child protection.”
The U.S. Surgeon General has also called for warning labels to be added to social media platforms, saying that the “mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor. … These harms [from social media] are not a failure of willpower and parenting; they are the consequence of unleashing powerful technology without adequate safety measures, transparency or accountability.”
In September, 42 Attorneys General called on Congressional leadership to create and pass legislation to add warning labels to social media platforms, citing that they “share an abiding concern for the safety of the kids in our jurisdictions—and algorithm-driven social media platforms threaten that safety.”
