Australia's social media ban with neuroscientist Dr Lila Landowski

I got to meet with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister Anika Wells MP, alongside Flossie Brodribb and mum Romany Brodribb to discuss Australia’s forthcoming under-16s social media ban. This followed Flossie’s school project on how social media can affect the developing brain, which I helped mentor her with. Albo described her work and leadership as “quite extraordinary” (which, frankly, it is!) In my commentary, I focus on the addictive design features used by social media platforms, why developing brains are especially vulnerable, and the plausible pathways linking heavy use with body dissatisfaction, loneliness, depression and anxiety. I keep coming back to the basics: when screens displace sleep, movement, play and face-to-face connection, young brains miss out on some of the very things that help them grow well. From a neuroscience perspective, sleep, exercise and in-person socialisation support healthy brain development + are critical levers of good mental health. play and face-to-face socialisation are essential for strong social development. Although the evidence linking social media and mental health is often limited by observational study design, the neuroscience of what happens when young people lose sleep, movement, and in-person social play in favour of social media use is super clear - the benefits gained by reducing social media use, based on fundamental neuroscience principles. Many kids are spending up to 50 hours a week less on those things than equivalent aged kids did 30 years ago. Imagine the impact on a growing brain! I wasn’t involved in designing or implementing the ban, and I’m always careful to acknowledge that online communities can be genuinely valuable for some people, especially those in marginalised or minority groups. But from a neuroscience perspective, the clearest story is around what young people lose when social media starts crowding out real life. hashtag#socialmedia hashtag#socialmediaban hashtag#ai hashtag#brains hashtag#development hashtag#neuroscience hashtag#brainrot hashtag#learning hashtag#neuroplasticity