PTC Says 42 Attorneys General Strong Support for Social Media Warning Labels Should Urge Congress to Act

LOS ANGELES (September 12, 2024) – The Parents Television and Media Council (PTC) said that Congress should heed the call of 42 Attorneys General to create and pass legislation to add warning labels to social media platforms.

As the Attorneys General cite in a letter to Congressional leadership, they “share an abiding concern for the safety of the kids in our jurisdictions—and algorithm-driven social media platforms threaten that safety. A growing body of research links young people’s use of those social media platforms to a variety of serious psychological harms, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Algorithm-driven social media use also interferes with adolescents’ daily life by chronically disrupting their sleep with irresistible algorithmic recommendations, infinite scrolling, and a constant stream of notifications designed to keep kids relentlessly engaged on the platform.”

Furthermore, “a warning would not only highlight the inherent risks that social media platforms presently pose for young people, but also complement other efforts to spur attention, research, and investment into the oversight of social media platforms.”

Parents Television and Media Council Vice President Melissa Henson remarked, “Despite the efforts AGs are taking to hold social media companies accountable for the harm they’ve caused to children, we are encouraged that they agree that adding warning labels to social media platforms is another solution to further protect children online.

“Social media isn’t getting any ‘safer’ for children – there are great risks to our youth that come with social media usage. Risks include exposure to predators, sexually explicit and graphically violent content, and powerful algorithms that feed harmful content to children. Tech platforms aren’t racing to fix these problems, leaving parents and grandparents left to deal with the consequences. Warning labels are the first step in helping to better protect children from social media harms. Congress must act,” Henson added.

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.”