Surgeon General calls for warning label on social media apps

(CNN)– The U.S. Surgeon General is demanding Congress put a warning label on social media apps similar to the ones on cigarettes and alcohol.

In an op-ed in the New York Times, Vivek Murthy cited social media as an important contributor to the ongoing mental health crisis among young people.

Dr. Murthy pointed to a 2019 American Medical association study that showed teens who spend 3 hours a day on social media double their risk of depression.

According to a recent Gallup poll, teens spend nearly 5 hours a day on those apps. The Surgeon General says Congress passing warning label legislation could lead to a decline in use.