RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has joined 41 other attorneys general in a bipartisan coalition pushing for U.S. surgeon general warnings on algorithm-driven social media platforms.
Previously: Surgeon general calls for social media warning labels, like those required on cigarettes
According to Miyares’ office, the coalition has sent a letter to Congress citing the “generational harm” caused to the mental health of young Americans by social media, which has been linked to depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts among children and teens.
Miyares’ office also says that these platforms “feature irresistible algorithmic recommendations, infinite scrolling, and a constant stream of notifications designed to keep kids relentlessly engaged on the platforms, even at the expense of taking breaks, engaging in other activities, or sleeping.”
“Virginians deserve to know what they are really getting from social media companies,” said Miyares. “So I am calling on Congress to require that these companies place warnings on their platforms to fully disclose their risks to our children’s mental health.”