Common Sense Media Adds Public Health Expertise to Board of Directors with Addition of Former Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy
Dr. Murthy served as U.S. Surgeon General from 2015 to 2017, 2021 to 2025
SAN FRANCISCO, October 1, 2025 — Common Sense Media today announced the addition of former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to its Board of Directors. Murthy will bring his decades of medical expertise to Common Sense Media's efforts to build a healthier digital landscape for children and families everywhere.
Dr. Vivek Murthy served as the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States, serving from 2015 to 2017 and 2021 to 2025. In 2023, he issued an advisory on the effects of social media on youth mental health. The following year, he called for warning labels on addictive social media platforms, an effort that Common Sense Media strongly supports.
"With Dr. Murthy's extraordinary guidance, Common Sense Media will be able to double down on our efforts to better understand and tackle technology's role in the youth mental health crisis," said Common Sense Media Founder and CEO James P. Steyer. "He is a truly unique addition to our leadership team of policy experts, joining our Board at a time when substantive expertise and insights into tech's impact on kids' mental health are needed more than ever. His remarkable wealth of knowledge and global leadership role will be invaluable at a time when AI, including unsafe AI companion chatbots, poses an increasing threat to the mental health and well-being of our kids and families across the nation and globally."
During his two terms as Surgeon General, Dr. Murthy's initiatives shaped national and international conversations and compelled change across business and non-profit organizations. He has drawn attention to critical and underappreciated health issues, including the epidemic of loneliness, parental mental health and well-being, the youth mental health crisis, and health worker burnout.
About Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive. Our ratings, research, and resources reach more than 150 million users worldwide and over 1.4 million educators and more than 100K schools worldwide every year. Learn more at commonsense.org.