On Monday, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said the threat social media poses to children requires urgent action, urging Congress to mandate warning labels on social media apps — similar to those on cigarettes and alcohol.
Eighteen-year-old Elena Schnellbacher, an avid user of TikTok and Instagram, finds the suggestion extreme.
“I think it’s a little extreme, only because people are going to do it whether there is a warning label or not,” she said. “Both are addicting, and I think parents know that it’s addicting, but it’s a way to keep children occupied. I just feel like people would see that and kind of scoff.”
Schnellbacher said she uses social media primarily for entertainment and to stay updated on her friends’ activities.
Laura Schnellbacher and her 18-year-old daughter, Elena, both said they find the U.S. surgeon general’s call to put warning labels on social media “extreme.”
“All of my accounts are private, and I am not posting my whole life on social media,” she said.
However, she acknowledges the downsides.
“I miss when I had a wider attention span,” she said. “It’s just easy to keep scrolling. It’s never-ending.”
Despite the potential negatives, Schnellbacher believes there are positives to social media.
“With the right people, you have a lot of positivity coming from it,” she said.
Her mother, Laura Schnellbacher, is more cautious but not entirely convinced that warning labels are necessary.
“I don’t know that I think that’s necessary,” Laura Schnellbacher said about the surgeon general’s proposal.
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Laura Schnellbacher said she monitors her daughter’s social media usage closely, even at 18.
“We have thorough talks about what is safe and what isn’t,” she said. “I start out pretty slow with allowing my children on social media, and I monitor it heavily. But even at that, I am fully aware there are ways to hide things. As a parent, it’s daunting because you want to protect your kid. Kids learn so fast, and it’s hard to keep up with everything.”
She believes Elena is a well-balanced young woman and doesn’t have significant concerns about her social media use.
Alexa Summers, director of school-based services at Burrell Behavioral Health, echoed concerns about the impact of social media on children.
“A warning label is something all parents need to consider, whether it’s official or just hypothetical,” Summers said. “Social media has taken our society by storm, and it impacts kids in all aspects of their lives. It’s something that needs to be maneuvered carefully when raising kids.”
Summers highlighted the importance of limiting screen time for children and being good role models.
“If they are 5 to 17 years old, no more than two hours of screen time a day,” she advised. “When our kids see us using social media consistently for large blocks of time, they are going to mimic our behavior.”
She also emphasized the importance of teaching children appropriate behavior online.
“Are we kind to others on social media? Do we say appropriate or inappropriate things? Kids pick up on that and will reflect the behavior in how they engage on social media,” she said.
Summers warned of the risks associated with excessive social media use, including depression, low self-esteem and reduced attention spans.
“Kids get sucked into this world where they have to manage their reputation by responding consistently,” she said. “They wake up an average of four times a night to manage their reputation, which can ultimately impact their ability to work a normal job or get through high school.”