This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a ban on social media for kids under 16. There will be exemptions, and other specifics are yet to come, but Canadians should applaud this move. I believe in personal freedom but also in science, and in protecting kids from harm. And every day, we see more evidence of the damage social media does to children.

Social media is addictive. It damages mental health. It exposes kids to predators. It has become a public health and safety issue. If tech companies won’t keep children off their platforms voluntarily, then Ottawa should make them do so.

There is also evidence that excessive screen time harms the adult brain, causing early neurodegeneration. The good news is that quitting it can reverse the damage. A two-week break from social media on your smartphone was recently found to reduce anxiety, improve mood and attention, and lift 10 years’ worth of brain fog.

As someone who fears few things more than cognitive........

© Montreal Gazette