US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is onto something with his proposal to place labels on social media devices warning parents and their children of the emotional harm that comes to those who use those devices excessively.
The idea, according to Murthy — an internist by training — is to put labels on these devices the same way a previous surgeon general mandated the placing of warning labels on cigarette packs. Those warnings, which began with a sort of milquetoast message about the potential harm that cigarettes bring, have gotten more direct.
It’s not yet clear whether children would heed the warnings on social media devices — smart phones, I-pads and various apps they can download onto their computers.
My own children are now grown men. I do have an 11-year-old granddaughter who is pretty darn social media savvy already. She doesn’t access the sites that can do harm to her and for that I credit her parents for keeping sharp eyes on what she watches and reads.
Dr. Murthy’s message is aimed at the emotional harm that does befall many children in this social media age. They are bullied mercilessly. They are driven to do harm to themselves and to others.
This well could be one of those rare moments when political foes can actually agree that warning labels, if taken seriously, can actually save lives and preserve society’s sanity.