Illinois, 41 other states call for cigarette-like warning label on social media

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WTVO) — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is among 42 attorney generals backing the Surgeon General’s call for Congress to require a warning on social media platforms.

“Young people are facing a mental health crisis, which is fueled in large part by social media,” the undersigned attorney generals wrote in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

“As State Attorneys General, we sometimes disagree about important issues, but all of us 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,” the letter continued.

“A surgeon general’s warning on social media platforms, though not sufficient to address the full scope of the problem, would be one consequential step toward mitigating the risk of harm to youth. 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,” the AGs said.

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called for placing a warning label on social media platforms in a June 17th op-ed in The New York Times .

Teens in the U.S. spend an average of 4.6 hours a day on social media, according to a 2023 Gallup survey. Girls spend more time on social media than boys, with 55% of girls spending at least four hours a day on social media compared to 48% of boys.

Experts say adolescents who spend more than three hours a day using social media may be at heightened risk for mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

In a Pew Research Center survey, 54% of teenagers said it would be very or somewhat hard to give up social media. Three-quarters of respondents said they used YouTube every day and 58% used Tik Tok daily.

“The surgeon general’s call for a warning on social media is right: These platforms often seem like drugs, designed to hook users, create a dependency, and alter behavior – often for the worse,” said American Defamation League CEO and National Director, Jonathon Greenblatt, said in a news release.

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