U.S. Surgeon General wants warning labels for social media

[Imzadi]

I'm posting this here. Hopefully, this won't have to be moved to the other board.

The U.S. Surgeon General wants warning labels put on social media, like the way there are warning labels on cigarette packs.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/soc...th-defining-challenge-time/story?id=111196601

Do you think this will really help? Has the warning labels on cigarettes really stopped people from smoking?

I think some kids sneak cigarettes more because it's forbidden, and they think it's cool or rebellious, and a grown up thing to do. So, wouldn't it be the same with social media?

 

[SteveH]

Will it help? I'm not sure about it, but I think the warning label is a good first step. I am behind this 1000%. Then again I'm fine banning Ding Dong and "Influencers" too. I think the warning label is a good way to acknowledge that social media is unhealthy in it's current form. Getting our kids off it would be a good thing.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I'm posting this here. Hopefully, this won't have to be moved to the other board.

First, thanks for posting here. Too often threads are started unnecessarily on the other board and lose a lot of interaction and synergy from the larger community here. Thanks.

Has the warning labels on cigarettes really stopped people from smoking?

Not by themselves, no. But with other education and societal limitations, yes, a major reduction. Also the natural mortality of smokers and fewer new smokers to take their spots on the early mortality treadmill helps to overall naturally lower the smoking numbers.

US smoking population..

1965 42%
2019 14%

https://www.statista.com/statistics/184418/percentage-of-cigarette-smoking-in-the-us/

 

[fla4fun]

Hmmm . . . I don’t know that the warnings alone would have a huge impact right away, but I do think they are a necessary first step. I was bullied in school and there have been many times that I have been profoundly grateful that my teen years were over before the internet and social media became a thing. A warning on its own does not restrict anyone from using social media if they wish to, but it may cause them to think about how much time they are spending online and encourage them to socialize in person more often. It may cause them to think about the fact that just because you see something online, it isn’t necessarily true and accurate. It gives parents a starting point to have conversations with their kids about social media when they are first getting involved. I feel these are all good things to have in mind as part of using social media, especially for kids who aren’t mature enough to consider the consequences of bullying and oversharing. I would support the use of a warning on social media sites.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Do you think this will really help? Has the warning labels on cigarettes really stopped people from smoking?

Not really - I think what lowered the smoking rates was educating kids (school programs, poster contests...all that stuff) and eventually social pressure, not the warning labels.

But I do think we need to do something to lessen kids' exposure to social media. If you haven't yet read:

I highly recommend it! - I listened to it on Audible recently, and I wish it had been around back when my DS was younger.

There is a website that goes with the book, and you can access a lot of the notes for free: (here) - Click on the Research tab.

 

[Imzadi]

Not really - I think what lowered the smoking rates was educating kids (school programs, poster contests...all that stuff) and eventually social pressure, not the warning labels.

But I do think we need to do something to lessen kids' exposure to social media. If you haven't yet read:
View attachment 869367
I highly recommend it! - I listened to it on Audible recently, and I wish it had been around back when my DS was younger.

There is a website that goes with the book, and you can access a lot of the notes for free: (here) - Click on the Research tab.

Thanks, I just put it on my library's reserve list for when the eBook becomes available.

 

[Toolulu22]

I don’t see a lot of cigarette smoking amongst students or even adults so much. Kids vape now. We can’t turn our backs, step outside the room for a second, or leave bathrooms unmonitored. Two sets of kids were suspended from my class for vaping in my room this year. They are bold!

Where cigarette smoking stats show a decline over the years, I wonder how they overall rates would look if vaping (as a form of smoking) were added to straight smokers?

I am glad the mental health tie to social media is being addressed. The capability of the internet is moving at lightning speed, and allowing kids almost unlimited access while their brains are still developing needs more consideration than is currently given. By schools, parents, communities. New York State has legislation brewing to ban smartphones in school. I hope this passes, and soon. Coupled with the SG’s warning, my hope is that schools and parents listen to the research coming out regarding the effects of social media of our children and take action.

The high school kids I teach now are those who grew up with social media, iPads, texting. Some of what they do is fun (ie dancing) but one bad/wrong photo passed around can ruin a kid. Isolation during the COVID pandemic didn’t help the situation.

.

 

[fla4fun]

New York State has legislation brewing to ban smartphones in school. I hope this passes, and soon. Coupled with the SG’s warning, my hope is that schools and parents listen to the research coming out regarding the effects of social media of our children and take action within families/groups.

I don’t necessarily see a problem with this either. I wonder if this type of ban is playing a part in the resurgence of flip phones? I can remember the days before smartphones, when all I could do was text and make phone calls, and that was enough to keep in touch with the people I needed to until I got home where other options were available. However, I have heard of so many school organizations requiring students to use apps for communication and calendars if they are involved in sports and other school sponsored organizations that it may be difficult to turn back the clock. They would have to be willing to backpedal on using apps for things like rescheduling practice times or locations if they ban smartphones in school.

Do schools even have a PA system for announcements anymore? (Flashing back to the movie Grease now . . .)

 

[Imzadi]

New York State has legislation brewing to ban smartphones in school. I hope this passes, and soon.

I heard about this as it is my state. I'm actually against this for the reason there are so many school shootings, the kids may need their phones for safety. There have been many times where they called in the active shooting. Or they were on the phone with the 911 operator who stayed with them online and helped keep them calm, hidden and quiet.

Then there was the Uvalde shooting, where we KNOW kids were still alive in that room, begging for help over 911. And there have been times where the kids were able to call their parents during a shooting. Sometimes, it was the last time and last call the parents ever got. Same for 9/11, when the people in the towers were able to make one last call to their loved ones.

I think there should be a way to make the kids put away their phones and learn DISCIPLINE. Forced at first, then hopefully voluntarily staying off their phones later when they realize they can have a good time without the phone in their face.

Taking away phones doesn't teach them that. It teaches forced deprivation that is externally created. And all they have to do is wait it out until the circumstances change and they get their phones again.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I have a good warning label for the Dis. But I don't think I could share it on the dis.

 

[Dead2009]

I can honestly see it now

Warning: Going on Twitter/X may cause stress in some, because people get upset over the tiniest of things.

 

[SteveH]

@PollyannaMom that is such a great book. As soon as my morning radio guys talked about it I ordered it, read it and then put it in our lending library at work. Happy to see it's been read by 6 people, all with younger kids - hoping it helps them.

 

[Disneychick13]

I do actually like the idea of having a warning label for social media. Will it curb the use? Probably not. I think it’s just so destructive for teens, especially teen girls.

 

[monsterkitty]

I heard about this as it is my state. I'm actually against this for the reason there are so many school shootings, the kids may need their phones for safety. There have been many times where they called in the active shooting. Or they were on the phone with the 911 operator who stayed with them online and helped keep them calm, hidden and quiet.

Then there was the Uvalde shooting, where we KNOW kids were still alive in that room, begging for help over 911. And there have been times where the kids were able to call their parents during a shooting. Sometimes, it was the last time and last call the parents ever got. Same for 9/11, when the people in the towers were able to make one last call to their loved ones.

I think there should be a way to make the kids put away their phones and learn DISCIPLINE. Forced at first, then hopefully voluntarily staying off their phones later when they realize they can have a good time without the phone in their face.

Taking away phones doesn't teach them that. It teaches forced deprivation that is externally created. And all they have to do is wait it out until the circumstances change and they get their phones again.

The ban would be for smart phones. Other phones would be allowed.

When Columbine was happening, none of our cell phones worked because the system was overwhelmed. While they have upgraded the cell towers, my school is still in the dead zone and you still have to be in the right area of the school in order to make a call on a cell phone.

 

[monsterkitty]

We asked our school admin to ban cell phones, but he refused, stating parents would not be onboard.

However, my sister who was the principal at another middle school in our district, about a mile away, did ban phones. Students turned them in at the beginning of the day and got them back at the end of the day. The parents who complained the loudest were the ones who thanked her the most because they saw the change in the children's mental health. Students were more engaged in classes again, grades went up, and test scores increased.

 

[BrianL]

We asked our school admin to ban cell phones, but he refused, stating parents would not be onboard.

However, my sister who was the principal at another middle school in our district, about a mile away, did ban phones. Students turned them in at the beginning of the day and got them back at the end of the day. The parents who complained the loudest were the ones who thanked her the most because they saw the change in the children's mental health. Students were more engaged in classes again, grades went up, and test scores increased.

Man, when I was in school, pagers and cellular phones were banned under the banner of "drug paraphanalia" - I guess if you had a pager it was because you were a dealer. Cell phones weren't that common amongst students, but they did exist. I think it was good to ban all of that though, even if it wasn't necessarily drug related. They are a distraction. I would hope students could be trusted to not have them out during school hours, but if they have to confiscate them, then so be it.

 

[monsterkitty]

Man, when I was in school, pagers and cellular phones were banned under the banner of "drug paraphanalia" - I guess if you had a pager it was because you were a dealer. Cell phones weren't that common amongst students, but they did exist. I think it was good to ban all of that though, even if it wasn't necessarily drug related. They are a distraction. I would hope students could be trusted to not have them out during school hours, but if they have to confiscate them, then so be it.

When I first started teaching, cell phones weren't a thing and those who had pagers were the dealers. A few years into teaching, we had a student who had 2 pagers and one of the first cell phones. That cell phone was the size of a brick! He was a dealer and was probably the only student I was afraid of in all of my 32 years of teaching un middle school. In 8th grade he showed up to school at the beginning of the year in a wheelchair because he broke his femur while running from police.

This student was killed at the age of 16 by the Denver police. He was in a stolen Jeep and was speeding towards police, aiming the Jeep at two officers. His mom later said in an interview that her son was a good kid, never got in trouble in school, and would never hurt anyone. Every one of us who had him in the classroom wanted to set the story straight, but were not allowed to do so.

 

[MamaMermaid]

It’s smart but I’m not sure if it’ll make a difference.

 

[_19disnA]

Probably a good idea, but it would seem more like too little/too late. The social media 'genie' is largely out of the bottle and those who run those sites could care less what sort of content gets posted. They still make the vast majority of their revenue selling ads and the more people they claim use their site, the more they can charge advertisers.

Social media started out a fun way to stay in touch with friends/relatives or classmates. Once those with dubious intentions found a way to use such sites to weaponize their posts and reach far larger numbers of people is when things went off the track.

 

[gmang]

It would be a better idea to have warning labels for stupid parents that give their kids phones when they are too young, and do not teach them proper usage.