Sri Lanka, June 18 -- The UK Prime Minister's proposal to ban social media for children under 16 is not just a "good idea" - it is an urgent intervention. Our Parliament too, must act immediately.

We are raising a generation whose childhood is being auctioned to algorithms. Every day, children (0-14 years) in Sri Lanka and across the world are exposed to content designed to be addictive: endless scrolling, dopamine-driven feeds, and material that damages mental health, body image, and attention spans. Studies from Oxford, Harvard and our own National Child Protection Authority show a direct link between early social media use and rising rates of anxiety, depression, and self-harm in teenagers.

Parents are fighting a losing battle. No i...