Tasha Kheiriddin: Carney should be applauded for social media ban

Prime Minister Mark Carney in Toronto, Ontario on Thursday, June 4, 2026. (Peter Power/Postmedia News)

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This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney will announce a ban on social media for kids under 16. There will be exemptions, and we haven’t seen the details yet, 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.

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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.

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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.

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As someone who fears few things more than cognitive decline, I decided to try it. I offloaded my social apps: they remained in the background, but not on my screen where they would tempt me to doomscroll. I consulted news sites only on my desktop and limited my social media use to posting my columns and liking posts that people sent me directly. I used my phone only for communication and utilities — texts, emails, maps, banking, shopping orders, and the like.

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It’s been almost a month, and two things have happened.

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One, my phone use has gone down by two hours a day. That’s right: I was spending two hours staring at a little lighted box, stuffing my brain with random news articles and social feeds. At first, it felt weird — I had actual spare time. Not only was I able to get regular tasks done, but I read ten books, took early morning walks, edited a friend’s short story for fun, and sometimes did… nothing. It’s been like a mini-vacation.

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Second, my mental health greatly improved. I feel measurably happier and less stressed. I find myself noticing my surroundings more, including how people constantly stare at their phones: at bus stops, on the subway, walking down the street. I think of how their brains are never resting, stimulated by light and information, addicted to the dopamine rush of a “like.” I shudder, because that was my brain too.

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Were there downsides? Am I less aware, less informed? True, I don’t see my friends’ photos and stories on Facebook. I now call, text, and see them in person instead. I don’t view every Instagram trend and Trump tweet in real time. But even as a writer, I don’t need to be constantly connected. Nor do I miss clickbait and disinformation. I consult news sites on my desktop and on television. I do my work. And then I turn them off. My ability to focus has improved, as has my productivity, which has left me with even more “free” time. It’s a virtuous circle. And I am never going back.

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If this is the impact of social media on an adult brain, just think about its effect on a child’s brain. Spending hours a day on TikTok and Instagram instead of reading, interacting face-to-face with peers, and exercising. Social media is addictive, and its delivery mechanism — the smartphone — enables that addiction. And we parents put it into our children’s tiny hands.