Should Social Media Come With A Warning Label?

Seven must-read stories about "dad brain," lonely boys, sextortion and more. PLUS: Should minors be able to buy muscle-building supplements?

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In this edition:

• Surgeon General: Why I’m Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms

• The Surgeon General Proposed Warning Labels On Social Media For Teens, And Experts Have Thoughts

• Why New York State Just Banned Selling Muscle-Building Supplements to Minors

• Dad Brain Is Real, and It’s a Good Thing.

• Sandy Hook Survivors Share Memories, Plans For The Future Ahead Of High School Graduation

• Boys Are Lonelier Than Ever. What Can We Do About It?

• Dead in 6 hours: How Nigerian Sextortion Scammers Targeted My Son

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Photo by Adem AY on Unsplash

Surgeon General: Why I’m Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms (New York Times)

It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents. A surgeon general’s warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe. Evidence from tobacco studies show that warning labels can increase awareness and change behavior. When asked if a warning from the surgeon general would prompt them to limit or monitor their children’s social media use, 76 percent of people in one recent survey of Latino parents said yes. READ MORE

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Photo by Daria Nepriakhina 🇺🇦 on Unsplash

The Surgeon General Proposed Warning Labels On Social Media For Teens, And Experts Have Thoughts (HuffPost)

In recent years, kids (and adults) from historically marginalized communities, such as those who have disabilities or who identify as LGBTQI+, Rich said, “have been connected, and many of them use [social media] quite respectfully and quite gratefully.”