A social media ban will not save our children

GS Paper II: Governance, Social Justice and Education

GS Paper I: Society

Context: In response to growing concerns over mental health issues, cyberbullying, addiction, and exposure to harmful content among children, several governments worldwide are considering or implementing blanket bans or strict age-based restrictions on social media for minors. Such bans are simplistic and ineffective, failing to address deeper structural and social issues affecting children in the digital age.

• Social media has become an integral part of children’s socialisation, learning, and self-expression.
• The debate has shifted from regulation and safety to outright prohibition, driven by moral panic rather than evidence.
• Technology itself is not the primary threat; rather, lack of digital literacy, weak regulation, and inadequate parental and institutional support are the real problems.

Key Challenges with Ban on Social Media for Children

• False Sense of Safety
  • Bans create an illusion of protection without addressing online harms that persist outside social media, such as gaming platforms, messaging apps, and the dark web.
  • Children often bypass bans using fake ages or VPNs.
• Ignoring Structural Causes
  • Mental health crises among children stem from academic pressure, family stress, social inequality, and lack of counselling, not just social media.
  • Singling out social media oversimplifies a multi-causal problem.
• Exclusion from Digital Citizenship
  • A blanket ban deprives children of opportunities to develop critical thinking, online etiquette, and digital resilience.
  • This weakens their ability to navigate the internet safely as adults.
• Weak Regulatory Ecosystem
  • The focus on bans diverts attention from:
    • Platform accountability
    • Algorithmic transparency
    • Data protection and child-friendly design
  • Enforcement and Equity Issues
    • Such bans disproportionately affect children from poorer households who rely on digital platforms for learning and social connection.
    • Enforcement is arbitrary and often

Way Forward for Social Media usage for Children

• Strengthen Child-Centric Regulation
  • Mandate robust age-appropriate design codes, safer algorithms, and default privacy settings for minors.
  • Enforce accountability on platforms for harmful content and addictive design.
• Digital Literacy and Life Skills
  • Integrate digital literacy, media awareness, and mental health education into school curricula.
  • Focus on teaching children how to engage safely, not avoid technology.
• Parental and Community Engagement
  • Equip parents with tools and awareness to guide children’s online behaviour.
  • Promote open conversations rather than surveillance or coercion.
• Strengthen Mental Health Infrastructure
  • Expand access to school counsellors, helplines, and adolescent mental health services.
  • Address offline stressors such as academic pressure and social isolation.
• Evidence-Based Policymaking
  • Frame policies based on research and child psychology, not moral panic or populist responses.
  • Encourage continuous review of digital policies as technologies evolve.

Conclusion

Banning social media may appear decisive, but it is a policy shortcut that ignores the complex realities of childhood in a digital world. Protecting children requires smart regulation, education, mental health support, and shared responsibility, not blunt prohibitions. As the editorial argues, the goal should be to empower children as safe and informed digital citizens, not isolate them from the digital society they must inevitably navigate.

Source: The Hindu