California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan have introduced a new bill, which could mandate that social media companies post a warning label on their platforms to disclose the mental health risks associated with using them.
California’s Attorney General, Xavier Becerra, asserts that consumers deserve transparency regarding online platforms’ manipulative tactics and harmful content designed to maximize revenue, potentially harming users’ mental wellbeing, highlighting the urgent need for accessible information on such influences. While the invoice omits specific details on the scope of required label data and appearance, it does cite the Cyberbullying Safety Act and Online Violence Prevention Act as potential precedents for establishing such a requirement. These payments mandated that social media platforms disclose their cyberbullying reporting options within their terms of service, and explicitly indicate whether they provide a means for reporting violent posts for both users and non-users on the platform, respectively.
California State Senators Bonta and Bauer-Kahan have introduced an invoice that builds upon their previous legislation, which urges Congress to mandate the addition of Surgeon General’s warning labels on social media platforms. US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy proposed the concept himself in an essay published in June. While a surgeon general’s warning label on sugary drinks may need Congressional approval to take effect, studies suggest that it could effectively alter consumer habits, consistent with the views of former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.
Will you be aware of hints about the latest commotion surrounding kids and social media, as per the report released by the US Surgeon General in 2023? The advisory warns that excessive social media use poses a significant threat to children’s and adolescents’ psychological well-being, stating that those who spend more than three hours daily on social media face double the risk of developing psychological health issues. While a warning label is unlikely to fully address the problem, and social media isn’t solely responsible for all kids’ issues, labels could be another tool to prompt change.
While a comprehensive Texas bill mandating social media companies prevent teenagers from viewing “hazardous content” might be less likely in 2024, introducing warnings labels on such content could prove more feasible. While psychological well-being impacts are just one of many hazards that children confront online. Despite the progress made, there remains a pressing need for mass surveillance measures as well.
