RAB source entry 2- Maria Contreras

Part one: MLA Citation

Murthy, Vivek H. “Opinion | Surgeon General: Why I’m Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms.” The New York Times, 17 June 2024. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/17/opinion/social-media-health-warning.html.

Part Two: Summary

In the article “Surgeon General: Why I’m Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms.” Dr  Murthy argues for the importance of having a warning label regarding the dangers of social media to young people. Dr. Murthy  urgently calls out legislation from congress, saying they can help shield young people from online harassment, abuse and exploitation social media platforms cause. Society like schools and parents should start proposing limits to their students and kids. But parents are struggling to work together to endure limits. Dr Murtthy claims that in this urgent situation parents tend to be unable to control the situation and prevent the negative environment in social media. However parents arent the only ones calling out for help, young people have also expressed their experiences in social media and how trapped they feel not being able to stop their addiction to social media. Dr Murthy himself expresses his concerns as a father of 2 kids, the risk of not exposing his kids to harmful content. As well as the parents, he feels stressed over this complicated situation change. However, Dr Murthy states that  this major problem seems to be less urgent than changes in unsafe cars or food when it is as well causing impacts in young brains. The failure to act on the harms of social media alerts parents, students and society, to make social media better for everyone. 

Part Three: Rhetorical Analysis The genre of the article, “ Why I’m Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms.” is an opinion piece. The author of this article is Vivek H. Murthy a surgeon general. This author is credible because he has been the surgeon general for the United states and he has also published a book. Dr Murthy tone in the article was like serious or aggressive tone calling for help on young people being affected by social media. Dr Murthy uses more ethos in his text because he provides new limits that can help young people not be affected by social media. However pathos is also found in the text with the concerned feeling of the parents and how even Dr. Murthy is worried that his kids will be affected by social platforms. Dr. Murthy wants the audience to understand how important it is to take action and help young people not be mentally and emotionally affected with the time spent on social media. 

• “Legislation from Congress should shield young people from online harassment, abuse and exploitation and from exposure to extreme violence and sexual content that too often appears in algorithm-driven feeds”
• “One of the worst things for a parent is to know your children are in danger yet be unable to do anything about it. That is how parents tell me they feel when it comes to social media — helpless and alone in the face of toxic content and hidden harms.” 
• “Why is it that we have failed to respond to the harms of social media when they are no less urgent or widespread than those posed by unsafe cars, planes or food?”