In this episode, Brad and Gabe delve into the US Surgeon General's proposal to introduce warning labels on social media platforms, aimed at highlighting their impact on young people's mental health. In the US, the surgeon general is seen as a moral authority who looks at social issues through a health-first lens from the dangers of social media to gun violence. There's a lot to discuss here from the complexities of communicating risk to teenagers and Murthy's strategic choice to liken these risks to those associated with smoking cigarettes.

While using warning labels may not be the most effective method to deter use in the short term, the branding associated with such labels can have lasting effects. Many of us broadly understand the potential negative effects of social media on mental health, but a warning label would explicitly create the connection between harm and these platforms - it's a confrontation reminding them of the risks of logging in.

If you have any questions, feedback, or just want to say hi, email us at medicalanthropology@havas.com

Check out Breaking the Code on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/breaking-the-code-havas-health-and-you-podcast

In this episode, we’re joined by Eve McDavid and Dr. Onyinye Balogun, founders of Mission Driven Tech, a Cervical Cancer innovation company. Their story is an inspirational application of Breaking the Code's themes of inclusive design, varied expressions of pain, and uncomfortable conversations that save lives. Our discussion delves into women's health and cervical cancer, highlighting their current focus: their treatment tool called The Blossom, a medical device used in Brachytherapy, internal radiation procedures that cure Cervical Cancer. The Blossom is designed to alleviate the severe pain and trauma women endure during current brachytherapy procedures, pain so intense it sometimes leads patients to abandon treatment, a devastating and fatal decision.

Mission Driven Tech is raising capital to advance their groundbreaking work, and you can support them by contributing to their crowdfunding campaign featured on their website (https://missiondriventech.com/). Sharing this episode and the links below within your network can also help spread their important message and support their mission to save lives by modernizing cervical cancer treatments.

Special thanks to Jose Walewski for connecting us with Mission Driven Tech!

To contribute to Mission Driven Tech: https://www.ifundwomen.com/projects/blossom-modern-cure-cervical-cancer
Follow Mission Driven Tech on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mission-driven-tech
Connect with Eve McDavid: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evemcdavid/
Connect with Dr. Onyinye Balogun: https://www.linkedin.com/in/odbalogun/

If you have any questions, feedback, or just want to say hi, email us at medicalanthropology@havas.com

Check out Breaking the Code on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/breaking-the-code-havas-health-and-you-podcast

In a world of ubiquitous marketing, figuring out what supports a "healthy lifestyle" can be challenging. Marketers have picked up on the cultural trend towards wellness branding, and are enthusiastically, if somewhat disingenuously, leaning into claims that are technically true but not very helpful--"no added sugar", for example, is true, but irrelevant, for a product that has a high glycemic index (like fruit juices). This "healthwashing" has been seen across the spectrum of brands, from the curious case of fast foods chains removing unhealthy signifiers like "fried" from their names (BK, Dunkin', KFC, etc.), to the less curious but equally nefarious labeling practices of breakfast cereals and protein bars, brands are eagerly touting their health benefits.

In this episode, we talk about healthwashing and touch on many forms of virtue signaling. One important takeaway: We know that people are keenly aware of their health nowadays, so brands, across the board, shouldn't shy away from communicating the real role they can play. The importance is delivering that message in a way that's true to each brand, in a way that maintains their identity and respects their audience.

If you have any questions, feedback, or just want to say hi, email us at medicalanthropology@havas.com

Check out Breaking the Code on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/breaking-the-code-havas-health-and-you-podcast