LEBANON (Enmaeya Feature) - December 26, 2025
In a step that sparked controversy, Australia became the first country to ban social media use for children below the age of 16. The ban, which came into effect on December 10, comes as the world grapples with the rising mental health crisis among children and teenagers, fueled by constant digital exposure, and the blurred boundaries between online and offline life.
To explore the less obvious psychological effects of social media on children and to consider whether Lebanon should follow suit, Enmaeya spoke with Dr. Riham Monzer, Clinical Psychologist and Child Health Expert.
Beyond screen time, what are some subtle psychological effects of social media on children that parents often overlook?
When we talk about screen time, we must look at both the amount of time children spend on screens and the content they consume. It’s not just about duration, but the psychological impact of what they see. Children, like adults, constantly compare themselves to others online. This can create feelings of inadequacy, as they measure themselves against images of success, beauty, or rewards.
Over time, this leads to low self-esteem. Screen use can also cause “hidden anxiety,” where children feel constantly alert, waiting for notifications or messages. In addition, constant scrolling reduces a child’s ability to imagine, daydream, or be bored, skills essential for creativity and emotional development.
How does social media alter children’s perception of reality or their self-worth in ways that traditional bullying never did?
Traditional bullying used to happen in clear settings, such as school or the playground. With social media, there is no safe space. Bullying can follow a child everywhere and may not come from one or two people, but from an entire group chat or online community. Whether a child is only viewing content or creating it, the impact can be harmful.
For content creators, self-worth can become tied to numbers, likes, views, and followers. For those who are not creators, feeling “less popular” online can also lead to feelings of inferiority. Children often struggle to separate social media from real life. As a result, their everyday experiences may start to feel boring or insignificant compared to what they see online, affecting their self-esteem and sense of reality.
Are there particular features of social media, like algorithms or short-form content, that are especially harmful to developing brains?
Short-form content, including social media videos and YouTube Shorts, trains both children’s and adults’ brains to seek instant dopamine. Content changes every few seconds, keeping the brain constantly stimulated without effort.
As a result, children may struggle to focus in class, hold conversations, or engage in activities that require patience and sustained attention, such as games or reading.
Algorithms also play a major role. If a child likes a post about another child on vacation or a certain lifestyle, the platform will continue showing similar content. This repeated exposure fuels comparison and can harm self-image and confidence.
If these effects are already damaging for adults, they are even more concerning for children and teenagers, whose sense of identity and self-worth is still developing.
Australia is enforcing stricter age limits on social media access for children. From a psychological perspective, do such laws genuinely protect mental health?
I truly wish this rule were implemented everywhere. Children, and many parents, worldwidehave shown that they are often unable to regulate social media use or properly monitor online activity. Despite all the awareness campaigns, the results remain limited.
At this point, I believe the only realistic solution is prohibition during early developmental years. However, a ban alone is not enough. Without awareness, it risks becoming just a law on paper, one that teenagers will try to bypass.
This is a bold step, but a necessary one. With rising levels of brain overstimulation, anxiety, and depression among children, protecting developing minds must come before convenience or digital freedom.
If Lebanon were to adopt similar legislation, what challenges, cultural, technological, or social, might arise?
If a law like this were implemented in Lebanon without proper awareness, many would try to evade it. We need to anticipate how children and teenagers might bypass such restrictions, such as using VPNs or fake accounts, and address these behaviors proactively through education, parental involvement, and digital literacy, not enforcement alone.
Could legal age restrictions backfire, for example, by pushing children to hide their online activity, or does the benefit outweigh these risks?
It could backfire if we don’t clearly explain why these restrictions exist and show children real studies and evidence of the negative impact of excessive screen use. Without understanding, children are unlikely to accept the rules and will try to bypass them, just as some children in Australia may already be doing.
How do you balance the undeniable social and educational benefits of social media with the potential mental health harms for young users?
We do not intend to ban social media permanently. However, everything else we’ve tried has failed. A temporary restriction may be the only way to remind children that they can live without social media—and that life does not revolve around phones or online validation.
This initial digital detox is essential. Only after stepping away from toxic usage patterns can we begin reintroducing social media in a healthier way. That’s when education becomes effective: teaching children what content to consume, how to train algorithms to serve their interests, and how to use AI and technology to develop real skills and hobbies.
Promoting the benefits of technology without first addressing the harm is ineffective. Detox must come first and education comes after.
As Lebanon faces the rising impact of social media on children’s mental health, Dr. Monzer emphasizes that interventions must go beyond quick fixes. With targeted education, awareness, and culturally adapted strategies, the country can move from reactive measures to sustainable solutions that help children develop healthy digital habits.
