Warning labels worked for tobacco and alcohol—and it’s time we applied the same wisdom to social media.
The risks are real. Just as those products carried unseen harms, social media platforms—especially when used without limits—can affect mental health, attention, and identity development, particularly in young users.
A well-placed warning label creates a crucial pause: a moment of recognition, a nudge toward awareness, a space for reconsideration. For teens and children—who often struggle with self-regulation and are especially vulnerable to the pull of infinite scrolling—that pause could be lifesaving.
Let’s put on the brakes. Let’s bring social media back into balance with clear, visible warnings—because digital health deserves the same protection as physical health.
Christine Vineis, Unite for Safe Social Media
