Health warnings could reduce young people's social media use, study finds
Pop-up messages that warn of the harms of social media—such as mental health consequences—have the potential to reduce young people's social media use, a new Stanford Medicine study has found. The online experiment of about 1,000 teens and young adults found that warnings also boosted people's knowledge of the risks of social media use.
A new Stanford Medicine study suggests that pop-up messages warning of the mental health consequences of social media use could help reduce young people's social media consumption. The online experiment, involving around 1,000 teenagers and young adults, also found that such warnings improved participants' knowledge of the risks associated with social media use.
The research was inspired by a 2024 call from then-U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy M.D. for social media platforms to display health warning labels, similar to those on tobacco, alcohol, and other risky products. Four U.S. states have since enacted legislation requiring such warnings, with California's law set to take effect in January 2027.
Lead study author Anna Grummon, Ph.D., believes that the effectiveness of the warnings hinges on the specific language used. Of 15 messages tested, those highlighting overall mental health harms and those pertaining to depression and anxiety were found to be most impactful. The study's senior author, Thomas Robinson, M.D., notes that the findings indicate these warnings could indeed be effective, emphasizing the importance of refining the language to maximize their potential impact.
The researchers tested 14 different warnings and a control message among 1,012 young people, aged 13 to 29. The most effective warnings centered on overall mental health harms, depression, and anxiety. The California warning, though longer and more complex, performed comparably to other health warnings, likely due to its comprehensive nature and legal consideration.
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