NiamhMcGarry

In early December, Australia banned children under the age of 16 from using social media without parental consent exceptions. This legislation utilizes different age verification methods to ensure limitations on underage use, along with fines against social media platforms if they don’t comply. Many accounts were frozen, or their content was archived until the users turned 16. 

Spain has also announced plans to ban children 16 and under from using social media, with many other European countries planning to follow. They plan to use a similar age verification system and also filter hate content. 

Then, in January, France passed a similar bill that will take effect in September; however, they made a slight adjustment and lowered the age ban to 15. Regardless, they all have the same initiative: protect children’s health from algorithmic influence. 

The negative effects of social media have always been known, and most users are constantly reminded to monitor the content they are consuming and limit their usage. A majority of social media apps offer parental restrictions and have a 13- year-old age requirement, but it’s proving to not be enough. Kids are finding their way around the protections set in place, and adults are unsure of how to monitor what their children are consuming. 

Though many people have been speaking out against the dangers of social media, officials are finally listening. For the first time, social media faces trial for the harmful effects it has on adolescents. Companies like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are being scrutinized for their addictive features like infinite scrolling and personalized algorithms. 

In early February, a group of 13 parents gathered at the steps of a state courthouse in Los Angeles with photos of their deceased children. These parents filed lawsuits arguing that they lost their children to the destructive and harmful forces of social media.  

These social media platforms are being accused of prioritizing profit over the protection of children and intentionally creating addictive apps. In many cases, social media has led to depression, eating disorders and self-harm. 

The main tech companies, TikTok and Meta, argue that protecting young people has always been a main priority. They cite integrated safety features for children, such as content age restrictions and parental controls. Along with this, they also mention the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech, saying social media companies’ decisions about content is a protected form of speech. 

According to the American Psychological Association, young people’s developing brains make them especially vulnerable to validation and social rewards. As younger people have a less fixed sense of self, they are easily influenced by the comments from social media. 

Senior Quinn Tomlinson researched in her project “Kidfluencers’ Impact on Children” that “the kids that watch [social media] videos have body image issues and are always trying to buy the newest things, whether it be toys or clothing.” Although there are also other issues than just mental health, “some kids get overweight because of all the food and drinks that are displayed,” Tomlinson said.  

In relation to countries banning social media, freshman Avani Amarawardana believes that “social media shouldn’t be banned, but rather monitored because there are definitely negative effects for teenagers.” 

These new bans and lawsuits have inspired more debate over the effects of social media and what the next steps are. Regardless, many still believe that there should be more restrictions and regulations.