Do warning labels work?
On CNBC, a look at Vivek Murthy's social media labelling proposal... and bonus, a few summer reading recommendations
Should social media come with warning labels, like cigarettes? Vivek Murthy, the surgeon general, proposed as much yesterday, noting the correlation between the rise of social media and the decline of adolescents’ mental health.
But will warning labels work? I’ve been following this debate for decades, starting when I was the WSJ’s first advertising columnist back in the 1980s (!). On CNBC yesterday, I discussed why the cigarette warning analogy is wrong.
Here’s part of the clip:
This isn’t to minimize the problem, but instead to keep the focus on the platforms’ responsibility in taking action to prevent harm, not just saying the words.
What do you think - are warning labels a step in the right direction, or should efforts be directed elsewhere?
Also, WHAT TO READ NEXT…
Sharing some recommended reads here to kick off the summer. Two terrific new books by former colleagues, plus a fascinating new discovery by one of the neuroscientists featured in my book NEXT:
Not Too Late: The Power of Pushing Limits at Any Age, by Gwendolyn Bounds
Just published today! In this inspiring book, Wendy Bounds explains how she went from a middle-aged non-athlete to a an elite competitor in obstacle-course racing. The point isn’t to make readers into racers, but to show how any of us can grow and thrive and take on new challenges regardless of age.
A Fatal Inheritance: How a Family Misfortune Revealed a Deadly Medical Mystery, by Lawrence Ingrassia
Part memoir and part scientific thriller, Larry Ingrassia takes you inside the race to find out why certain families seem to inherit fatal cancers. Larry’s own family is at the heart of it, as he recounts losing his mother, two brothers, his sister and his nephew to multiple cancers. An astonishing feat of reporting and storytelling.
Scientific American: Brain Scans of Jazz Musicians Reveal How to Reach a Creative ‘Flow State’, by John Kounios and David S. Rosen
I met John Kounios, a Drexel University neuroscientist who studies creativity, while researching NEXT! He’s co-author of one of my favorite nonfiction books, The Eureka Factor: Aha Moments, Creative Insight, and the Brain. In his latest research, he looks at the neuroscience of reaching that elusive “flow state.”
Happy summer!
Joanne