Lancet Review Shifts Blame for Youth Digital Harm from Families to Tech Giants
A series of papers published in The Lancet argues that screen-time limits imposed by parents are insufficient to address the public health crisis of problematic digital media use among youth. The research, which analyzed 2,790 studies involving over nine million participants, links excessive usage to depression, anxiety, and sleep disruption. Experts urge governments and tech companies to assume responsibility for platform design, rather than relying on individual willpower. Canada’s proposed Safe Social Media Act (Bill C-34) aims to restrict social media access for under-16s and mandate data transparency, though critics note that age restrictions alone may not prevent circumvention.