Daily Junction.mobi portal50% of 10-year-olds and 72% of 12-year-olds use social media despite 13+ age limits, with platforms doing minimal age verification (just asking date of birth). Studies show social media use is linked to depression, anxiety, body image issues, and self-harm in teenagers, with girls particularly affected. The Online Safety Act 2023 requires platforms to verify ages but does not mandate how, allowing platforms to continue self-regulation with weak checks. Australia is introducing mandatory age verification (16+) using biometric or government ID, while the UK government refuses to mandate specific methods. Tech companies oppose mandatory verification citing privacy concerns, but they already collect vast amounts of data — age verification is a red herring. Social media is destroying children, and self-regulation has failed. The government must mandate strict age verification — using government ID, biometric checks, or credit card verification — to keep children off social media until they are old enough to handle it. The evidence is overwhelming: social media harms children's mental health, body image, sleep, and development. We regulate alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and driving to protect children. Social media should be no different. The time for action is now. Mandate age verification, enforce it strictly, and protect children from an industry that prioritises profit over safety.