Should social media come with a health warning?

MIT Technology Review June 21, 2024
Jessica Hamzelou

Yes, use of these platforms can sometimes harm. But it’s not all bad.

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Earlier this week, the US surgeon general, also known as the “nation’s doctor,” authored an article making the case that health warnings should accompany social media. The goal: to protect teenagers from its harmful effects. “Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms,” Vivek Murthy wrote in a piece published in the New York Times. “Additionally, nearly half of adolescents say social media...

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