Reinforcement Loops and Developing Brains: Why Australia Said ‘Enough’
Reinforcement Loops and Developing Brains: Why Australia Said ‘Enough’ Australia’s nationwide ban on social media use for children under 16, which comes into effect tomorrow, marks the first major government action to align with emerging scientific evidence on digital exposure and neurodevelopmental risk. In our longitudinal cohort study (2016–2022), we found that children who spent more than one hour per day on platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram showed increasing inattentiveness (i.e., reduced focus and concentration) across the four-year follow-up. Mainly, this pattern did not reflect reverse causation, inattentiveness did not predict increased social media use. This strengthens the interpretation that social media exposure contributes causally to attentional difficulties. In today’s reality, where many children spend more than five hours per day on social media, the implications are even more concerning. These findings are particularly timely as governments inclu...

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