Social media harms teens, watchdog warns, as France weighs ban

Using social media is not the sole cause of the declining mental health of teenagers, but its negative effects are ‘numerous’ and well documented, ANSES wrote in its opinion, the result of five years of work by a committee of experts. — AFP

PARIS, France: Social media harms the mental health of adolescents, particularly girls, France's health watchdog said Jan 13 as the country debates banning children under 15 from accessing the immensely popular platforms.

The results of an expert scientific review on the subject were announced after Australia became the first country to prohibit big platforms including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube for under 16s last month, while other nations consider following its lead.