In China, the version of TikTok for kids shows science experiments and shuts off after 40 minutes. In Europe, the same app serves up viral dances and content often described as "brain rot."
Now Europe is striking back.
Last week, the European Parliament approved a proposal by a large majority calling for a ban on social media for young people under the age of 16.
The reason? Smartphone use among one in four minors is now comparable to addiction. Is it the content? Or is it its manipulative designs like infinite scrolling and auto-play videos?
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is already taking notes and said he is monitoring Australia, which restricts platforms like TikTok for teenagers.
But will the EU be limiting online freedoms?
Neverending scrolling might be banned to avoid, in French President Emmanaul Macron's words, youngsters falling into a "Digital Wild West." If this is a cognitive war, can we really afford to lose the next generation to an algorithm?
