Protecting children and adolescents in the social media age

Childhood in the digital age is under threat. Social media has evolved to become a powerful space shaping the development, behaviors, perceptions, emotions and worldviews of children and adolescents. However, social media is also increasingly becoming a digital Pandora’s box, promising entertaining spaces for self-expression, social connections and support, while a darker space unfolds, leading to harrowing effects for young users.

Child development experts are sounding the alarm about children and adolescents navigating these uncharted digital spaces without supervision or guidance. Left unsupervised, they become susceptible to many risks.

A 2025 study titled “The Impact of Social Media and Technology on Child and Adolescent Mental Health” explains how the use of social media affects brain development, behavior and emotional well-being. Social media use has been linked to increased loneliness and depression, low self-esteem and social anxiety among children and adolescents.

Due to the nature of engagement on social media platforms, children and adolescents are also prone to experimenting with impulsive behaviors and engaging in addictive behaviors. Critically, an avalanche of harmful content exists within social media platforms, often rapidly disseminated, exposing children and adolescents to dangerous behaviors and messages. For instance, the rising number of cyberbullying incidents has led to self-harm among adolescents.

Social media use has been linked to increased loneliness and depression, low self-esteem and social anxiety

Sara Al-Mulla

Furthermore, the nature of certain posts on social media may instigate social comparisons, portraying idealized and unrealistic lifestyles in addition to unattainable beauty standards. Such content can contribute to heightened anxiety, eating disorders and depression. Together, these findings alert us to the issues arising from excessive and unhealthy social media use among young users.

Fortunately, policymakers across the globe are prioritizing this escalating and persistent issue. Examples show that impactful progress revolves around setting the common priority of safeguarding children and adolescents from harmful digital spaces by aligning policy, regulation, research and awareness to achieve these goals.

A study commissioned in 2025 by the Australian government’s independent online safety regulator revealed that 96 percent of children aged 10 to 15 use social media, with 71 percent of them encountering harmful content online, 57 percent having seen online hate and 52 percent having been cyberbullied. Shortly afterward, Australia made headline news as the first country in the world to introduce age restrictions for social media.

Under the Online Safety Amendment Act, social media platforms must restrict the access of children under the age of 16 and prevent them from creating or keeping an account. Platforms targeted include Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X, YouTube, Kick and Reddit. Failure to do so could result in large fines.

Other countries are swiftly following suit. In January, the French National Assembly approved legislation banning those aged under 15 from accessing social media due to escalating concerns about cyberbullying and mental health risks. The Spanish government this month announced a plan to ban under-16s from social media, while Portugal’s parliament progressed a bill that could ban under-13s from social media platforms and require verified parental consent for older children. Meanwhile, the UK government is carrying out a consultation on banning under-16s from accessing social media, with the aim of designing interventions that enhance children’s well-being online.

Furthermore, the European Parliament has submitted a proposal to introduce a harmonized EU-wide ban on under-16s accessing social media, although those aged 13 to 16 would be allowed access with parental consent. The proposal includes other recommended measures, such as a ban on sites not complying with EU rules, a ban on harmful and addictive features on social media platforms, stringent measures to address targeted influencer marketing and persuasive technologies, and the protection of minors from commercial exploitation or children acting as influencers. These examples offer lessons on how to protect vulnerable young users from the harmful effects of digital spaces.

Governments can create the foundation for digital safety through regulations that define the responsibilities of tech companies

Sara Al-Mulla

The proposed interventions cover five priority dimensions with the goal of advancing progress in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Firstly, governments can create the foundation for digital safety through clear regulations that define the responsibilities of technology companies to mitigate all kinds of harm. This can be translated into solutions such as imposing age restrictions and requiring verified parental consent.

Secondly, technology companies should be held accountable for enforcing content standards that are appropriate and safe for young audiences, thereby removing content that is deemed to be misleading, hateful, illegal or harmful.

Thirdly, social media platforms should redesign certain features to ensure they are age-appropriate, offer limits for maximum daily usage and restrict influencer ploys for harmful products or behaviors.

Fourthly, robust community engagement programs can help enforce regulations and standards among young users. Ensuring families understand the effects of social media usage and educating them on how to set appropriate family media plans is key to promoting safer online experiences for children and adolescents. At schools, curricula should embed information on digital literacy and equip students with the skills and knowledge to safely and responsibly navigate digital spaces.

Lastly, funding research for this policy area is essential to fully comprehend the spectrum of benefits and risks of social media usage by young users.

Policymakers have a responsibility to balance technological advancement with safeguarding the well-being of children and adolescents. By amplifying these discussions, we can work toward the common priority of creating safe digital spaces and equipping young users with the skills to navigate them wisely and responsibly.

• Sara Al-Mulla is an Emirati civil servant with an interest in human development policy and children’s literature. She can be contacted at www.amorelicious.com.