Tim Griffin joins 41 other states in demanding surgeon general’s warnings on social media

Lead by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has joined 41 other attorneys general in signing a letter calling for Congress to pass legislation requiring a surgeon general’s warning on “all algorithm-driven social media platforms.”This comes after a study by the Surgeon General about social media and youth mental health last May. The study warned that still-forming adolescent brains are at risk of being impacted by being exposed to harmful content on social media, including violence, sexual content, harassment and bullying.

In the U.S. Surgeon General study on social media, it was found that children who spend more than three hours a day on social media double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes.

In statement regarding his support for his legislation, Griffin said, “Social media platforms have become part of everyday life for most Americans, but it’s no secret that their algorithms are inherently addictive and can have devastating impacts on young people. That’s why I joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general in support of the U.S. Surgeon General’s recent call for Congress to require that a warning be placed on all algorithm-driven social media platforms.”

The Arkansas Attorney General did acknowledge that the warning would not be a cure all, but he does see it as a step in the right direction child safety on the internet.

In 2023, Arkansas was among the first states to file lawsuits against TikTok and Meta for deceiving consumers and pushing their addictive and harmful algorithms to minors. 45 states have now filed or joined similar lawsuits.

Attorneys general of California, Colorado, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, and Tennessee co-led the letter. Joining in signing the letter in addition to Arkansas were the attorneys general of Alabama, American Samoa, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

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