Overview

• Researchers following more than 6,000 children in the ABCD cohort found that increasing use from ages 9–13 was associated with poorer performance on reading, vocabulary and memory tests.
• Kids on a low‑increasing trajectory averaged 1–2 points lower than non‑users, while high‑increasing users scored up to 4–5 points lower, indicating a dosage pattern rather than a single threshold.
• Australia’s communications minister launched an advertising campaign ahead of enforcing a rule on December 10 that requires platforms to block users under 16.
• Google’s Rachel Lord warned lawmakers that removing accounts for younger users could strip away parental controls and supervised‑account safety tools on YouTube.
• Denmark has announced plans to enforce a restriction on social media accounts for users under age 15.