A recent New York Times guest essay by Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy advocating for warning labels on social media platforms has sparked discussions among Pitkin County leaders on safeguarding local youth from the negative mental health impacts of social media.
During a Thursday board of health meeting, Pitkin County Public Health Director Jordana Sabella introduced Murthy’s essay to initiate dialogue on the harmful effects of social media in the community. She emphasized the documented link between social media use among young people and the ongoing mental health crisis, stressing the need for immediate action despite incomplete scientific data pinpointing exact percentages of impact.
Murthy’s essay characterizes the mental health challenges facing young people as an urgent issue, proposing the implementation of surgeon general’s warning labels on social media akin to those found on tobacco products. He underscores that such labels, necessitating congressional approval, would regularly remind parents of the unproven safety of social media platforms.
Although Pitkin County has not yet taken formal steps regarding the negative effects of social media on local youth, Health Board Chair Greg Poschman acknowledged the importance of monitoring and discussing the issue within the community. Sabella recommended practical approaches to address the crisis on an individual level, such as establishing phone-free zones at home or delaying children’s access to social media until after middle school.
Meanwhile, the Aspen School District has been proactive in addressing the mental health impacts of social media. Throughout the 2023-2024 school year, district leaders tackled rising concerns over excessive cell phone use, which has exacerbated issues like cyberbullying. A town hall meeting was held to explore solutions to this problem, leading to the formation of a task force aimed at identifying effective strategies.
In a significant move, the Aspen School District joined a nationwide legal action in May 2023 against several social media companies, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Google, and YouTube, citing their detrimental effects on student mental health. Concurrently, a group of parents in the district has urged others to support the “Wait Until 8th” campaign, encouraging parents to delay giving smartphones to elementary and middle school students, a measure aligned with Sabella’s recommendations.
Echoing findings from Murthy’s essay, Sabella highlighted statistics showing that adolescents spending more than three hours daily on social media face a doubled risk of anxiety and depression symptoms. The 2023 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey further revealed that approximately 65% of students across Pitkin, Garfield, Eagle, Grand, and Summit counties spend three or more hours daily engaged with electronic devices.
Sabella concluded by emphasizing that while warning labels alone may not solve the problem, they could play a crucial role in raising awareness about the potential risks associated with social media use among young people.
