In a move that might soon have teenagers everywhere frantically reassessing their screen time, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has called for Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms. These warnings, similar to those found on tobacco products, would indicate significant mental health risks for adolescents. Perhaps future generations will gaze upon an Instagram feed labeled "Caution: Likes May Be Hazardous to Your Mental Health."

Murthy’s proposal may remind some of the distant past when the first surgeon general’s warning label was introduced on cigarette packs in 1965, mandating that they print "Caution: Cigarette Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health" (NBC, NY Post). Back then, teens might have rolled their eyes while lighting up behind the bleachers. Today, the cigarette has been replaced by the smartphone, and the dangers lurk within the endless scroll, likes, and selfies.

Murthy points out that adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms (CNN, NY Post). For some teens, breaking the three-hour limit on social media might be as inevitable as breaking curfew—seriously, how else are they supposed to stay updated on their friends’ latest TikTok dances and Instagram stories at the same time?

But before you start stuffing your kids' stockings with Nokia brick phones this holiday season, Murthy acknowledges that warning labels alone won’t make these platforms safe for young people. He’s calling for a multifaceted approach involving additional safety measures and legislation (CBS, NBC, NY Post). The idea seems to be: if you can’t beat ’em, at least regulate the heck out of ’em.

Meta—the parent company of Facebook and Instagram—has not immediately responded to the proposal (CBS). They might be too busy working on the beta version of "Instagram Kids," or perhaps they’re brainstorming emoji equivalents of legal disclaimers. Either way, their silence speaks volumes.

Murthy’s call to action isn’t without supporting data. He has highlighted various studies showing correlations between time spent on social media and increased instances of mental health issues among teens (CNN, NBC, NY Post). In one particularly alarming note, he pointed out that almost half of adolescents believe social media makes them feel worse about their bodies (NY Post). Because nothing sends a teen’s self-esteem plummeting faster than a perfectly filtered photo captioned "Just rolled out of bed!"

The Surgeon General is also urging social media platforms to share data on health effects with independent scientists and the public, and to allow independent safety audits (CBS, NY Post). One could imagine the platform executives nervously shifting in their seats, like students awaiting the unannounced pop quiz on ethics.

Murthy has previously stressed the need for stronger guidelines and protections for teenagers on social media. These include addressing issues such as online harassment, exposure to violent and sexual content, and the pitfalls of excessive use (CBS). If you’re starting to think that the Internet is the digital equivalent of an unchaperoned high school dance, you’re probably not far off.

The link between social media use and disruptions in sleep and decreased face-to-face interactions is also well-documented (NBC). Who needs sleep when you can binge-watch YouTube videos until 3 AM? And as for face-to-face interactions, why bother when a perfectly good Snapchat streak is on the line?

Surgeon General Murthy's proposal might just be the digital wake-up call we never knew we needed. Whether these potential warning labels will have any effect remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: if social media platforms start slapping "May Cause FOMO" on their sites, the irony might just be enough to make even the most avid Instagram user take a step back and consider a digital detox. After all, in the race for likes, shouldn’t coming in first place also mean you’re winning at life?