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At its meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 10, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution urging the U.S. Congress to expedite enacting legislation that would require social media companies to include warning labels on their platforms. The proposed warnings would be aimed at addressing mental health concerns linked to social media.
The proposed warning labels, which have been championed by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and a bipartisan coalition of 42 state attorneys general including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, would be akin to the health warnings that are required on cigarette packaging.
“Such a label will provide a clear signal about the potential dangers of engaging with harmful content and emphasize the need for caution,” said Supervisor David Canepa, who brought the resolution to the board.
Canepa said in his memo that studies on tobacco use have demonstrated that warning labels can effectively raise awareness and influence behavior when it comes to health risks.
Canepa brought the topic to the board following recent statements made by Murthy, who highlighted the need to address mental health concerns linked to social media use in a June New York Times opinion essay. In the essay, Murthy cited evidence that increased social media usage can lead to worse mental health outcomes.
“Nearly 95% of individuals aged 13 to 17 are active on social media, with over a third engaging ‘almost constantly,’” wrote Canepa in a memo to the board. “This pervasive use raises significant concerns about its impact on mental health.”
Canepa said that the resolution reflects San Mateo County’s commitment to addressing the negative health impacts of social media.
“The county of San Mateo is deeply committed to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of our residents, especially our young people,” said Canepa. “By supporting this resolution, we are not only advocating for greater awareness, but also urging Congress to take swift action. We believe that this measure will be a crucial step in promoting safer social media.”
Supervisors voted 4-0 to pass the resolution, with Supervisor Ray Mueller absent.
The text of the resolution notes that a copy of the resolution will be sent to major social media companies. Canepa’s office confirmed that the letter would be sent to Meta, as well as its platforms Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, among other social media platforms. Meta is headquartered in San Mateo County in Menlo Park.
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