Do warning labels work?

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 a clip:

My conversation on CNBC

This isn’t to minimize the problem, but instead to keep the focus on the platforms’ responsibility in taking action - not just say the words - to prevent harm.

In a world where we get warnings everywhere from pharmaceutical ads to food labels to TV shows, will the warnings cut through the noise? Let me know what you think!