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France became the first EU country to ban social media for children under 15, with parliament passing the landmark legislation by an overwhelming 279 to 81 votes — meaning children under 15 cannot create new accounts on platforms like TikTok and Snapchat starting in September, while existing accounts will be blocked by January 2027.

President Macron — who has said "children's brains are not for sale, neither to American platforms nor to Chinese networks" — also signed a ban on phones in high schools, and France's public health watchdog concluded that social media has harmful effects on teenagers' mental health, especially girls. Critics warn enforcement will be the real test, pointing to Australia where 70% of parents said their children remained on banned platforms after finding workarounds.

Read More: France Becomes First European Union Country To Ban Social Media For Kids Under 15 (CBS News)

A survey of 7,000 estranged parents found that 1 in 3 believe a therapist influenced their adult child to cut off contact, with a University of Minnesota professor warning that "it should be the tragic exception that you cut off a parent or loved one, not business as usual in therapy." But the research also shows that most estrangements are unstable — many people do eventually restart communication — and that adult children and parents often tell radically different stories about why the rift happened in the first place.

Read More: One-third Of Parents With Estranged Children Blame Therapy — As Society Becomes Obsessed With ‘Trauma’ (New York Post)

What started with ZYN has exploded into a full-blown "pouch palooza," with entrepreneurs stuffing small sachets with everything from caffeine, CBD, and melatonin to teeth-whitening ingredients and vitamins — marketing them as focus tools, sleep aids, and wellness products, all while flying largely under the FDA radar since they're classified as supplements.

The problem? As one dental researcher puts it, holding anything against mouth tissue for 12-18 hours a day is "potentially quite an insult to the lining of the mouth" — and the long-term effects of most of these new formulas are completely unknown, making consumers willing guinea pigs.

Read More: The Zyn-ification of Everything (Business Insider)

MYTH: Spending too much time on social media won’t trigger anxiety or depression

FACT: Studies show that excessive scrolling can lead to increased feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Seeing other people’s “perfect” lives online can make you feel like you’re falling behind—even though social media is just a highlight reel.

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