Ban Social Media for Teens?

"A new law requires ten of the world's most prominent social media platforms-Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X and YouTube-to block young Australians from accessing existing accounts or creating new ones, regardless of parental permission. At this point, you don't need a child and adolescent psychologist (hi) to tell you about the links between social media and poorer psychological well-being for youth."

"But let's not get lulled into thinking banning social media will do the heavy lifting needed to set the mental health of digitally-engaged youth on the road to recovery. To truly turn things around, age-related social media restrictions need to be part of a package deal to address youth mental health that covers access and safety, digital literacy education, and mental health interventions. To start, the Australian ban misses that social media is bigger than any one platform."

Australia introduced a law requiring ten major social platforms to block under-16s from accessing or creating accounts without parental permission. Social media use correlates with poorer psychological well-being among youth, creating a global public health concern that may require bold deterrents. A ban alone will not restore youth mental health; age-based restrictions must accompany access and safety measures, digital literacy education, and mental health interventions. Social media functions as a cultural context with secondhand effects beyond specific platforms. Deleting accounts cannot fully remove influence, and teens will find workarounds on unrestricted apps such as WhatsApp and Discord.

Read at Psychology Today