Surgeon General calls for tobacco-style warning label on social media platforms

TheStreet’s Conway Gittens brings the latest business headlines from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange as markets open for trading Monday, June 17.Related: Stock Market Today: Stocks mixed ahead of Juneteenth week splitFull Video Transcript Below:CONWAY GITTENS: I’m Conway Gittens reporting from the New York Stock Exchange. Here’s what we’re watching on TheStreet today.Stocks are kicking off a holiday-shortened trading week after the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq both crossed records, clinching another straight winning week. Investors are gearing up for the lighter week with retail sales data Tuesday and jobless claims on Thursday.In other news, the U.S. Surgeon General has demanded Congress put a label on social media apps that warns they pose a threat to children. Dr. Vivek Murthy believes apps like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok should come with warnings that state they could be damaging to a child’s mental health.Watch More Videos:New dyslexia treatment aims to overcome biggest hurdle in cognitive healthcareHow this YouTuber built a huge audience by playing slotsYes, there are fewer chips in the bag: Shrinkflation, explainedIn an op-ed in the New York Times, Murthy asserted that “A surgeon general’s warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe.” However, the Surgeon General acknowledged that a warning label would not fix the issue.Murthy urged schools to become phone-free environments, and called for families to make an effort to ditch the phones at dinner time. He also suggested parents limit their children’s social media use until they complete middle school.Several states, including Arkansas, California, Florida, Louisiana, and Montana have passed legislation that puts age limits on certain social media apps or when children can begin using specific features.That’ll do it for your daily briefing. From the New York Stock Exchange, I’m Conway Gittens with TheStreet.Related: Veteran fund manager picks favorite stocks for 2024