Statement by Kent Chamberlin, President of Environmental Health Trust on Surgeon General Recommendations for Warning Labels Regarding Social Media Impacts to Children
“Environmental Health Trust applauds the Surgeon General’s call for warnings to parents regarding the damaging impact of social media on child mental health. . The vision of our organization is to work towards a world where technology is both state-of-the-art and safe for all, and Dr. Murthy’s call moves us closer to that vision. We would like to add however, that it is not only the content from social media that harms people, but the radiation from wireless devices can also cause physical harm to the developing brain as well as psychological harm. We ask that the warning advocated by the Surgeon General include simple information on why and how to reduce exposures to wireless radiation.”
-Kent Chamberlin Ph.D. is President of Environmental Health Trust. As Professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences of the University of New Hampshire, he served on the New Hampshire State Commission on 5G Health and Environment and was a founding member of the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields.
The U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy wrote in an op-ed in The New York Times calling for warning labels on social media platforms – similar to those on tobacco and alcohol products – regarding the impact of social media on mental health.
“It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents…a surgeon general’s warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe.”
In 2023, The Surgeon General issued an advisory describing the current evidence on the impacts of social media on the mental health of children and adolescents. It outlines immediate steps people can take to mitigate the risk of harm to children and adolescents.
“Cell phones should be labeled just like cigarettes. Before purchasing a phone for their child or teenager, parents need to know that cell phones and wireless devices, including wireless earbuds, expose their children to microwave radiation, which is a form of radiofrequency radiation. Most parents are not aware that cell phones send and receive microwave radiation, or less that mounting science indicates harmful effects. They need to know that when a phone is in the pocket, the FCC found some cell phone models radiation emissions could exceed US government outdated (or 28 year old) guidelines,” stated Theodora Scarato of Environmental Health Trust.
Read more about screentime and children here.
