The chapter explores the challenges posed by underage children on social media platforms despite the minimum age requirement being set at 13. It emphasizes the vulnerability of children during middle school years and advocates for delaying social media use until after this period. The discussion also delves into the potential benefits and harms of social media, addressing concerns about mental health, social interactions, and the role of technology in young people's lives.
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy isn’t afraid to go after powerful interests. In mid-June, he published an op-ed in The New York Times calling for a warning label on social media platforms that says they’re associated with mental health problems for teens. The following week, he declared that gun violence is a public health crisis. However, the surgeon general's powers are limited. It'll take an act of Congress to put a warning label on social media platforms, and thanks to the Roberts court, even legislators are limited in their ability to regulate firearms.
Kara and Dr. Murthy discuss this country's seemingly intractable gun problem and the debate around the research into the harms caused by social media, along with his work on loneliness, and how Covid has eroded trust in the public health sector.
Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find Kara on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher
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