Pakistan, July 14 -- The European Union's latest proposal on children and social media is more serious than a headline ban. An expert panel has recommended restricting access below the age of 13, except with parental consent or for educational purposes, and allowing greater autonomy only as children mature. The European Commission will now consider legislation. The value of this approach lies in its refusal to pretend that a child of eight and a teenager of 17 face the same risks, or possess the same capacity to manage them.

The debate is often reduced to screen time. That misses how many platforms work. Infinite scroll, autoplay, persistent notifications and recommendation systems are built to prolong attention. For children, whose judg...