We Should Protect Our Youth From Social Media
Ensuring a Safer Digital Experience May Just Save a Generation
The digital age has revolutionized our connections, learning, and entertainment, yet it also presents unique challenges, particularly for our youth. As a writer and PR professional, I've seen the profound effects of social media. What was once envisioned as a vibrant public square for idea exchange has become a breeding ground for unchecked behavior and callousness, driven by meanness or greed. Social media mirrors our worst traits, reflecting the darker sides of human nature.
Observing my teenager and her peers, I've witnessed by extension the dangers of this amoral digital landscape—bullying, cruelty, body shaming, exploitation, and the devaluation of self-worth by showcasing unattainable lifestyles, all foisted upon young people bereft of the tools to handle it.
It’s not a pretty picture, and in a society replete with age restrictions on drinking, drugs, movies, and driving (but apparently not guns—that’s a whole ‘nother essay), it’s high time we consider stricter measures to protect our children—starting with implementing age gates on social media platforms.
The Case for Age-Gating
Smartphone Ubiquity
“Now the iPhone isn’t just a tool; it is actually a tool of mass distraction. And we’re adults—we can deal with it. We’ve dealt with television. Most of us might feel like, If I got a handle on this, I could get some more work done. But adult mental health did not tank. The story for teens is completely different,” said psychiatrist Jonathan Haidt, author of “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.” “Here’s what happened: the Internet came in two waves. In the eighties and nineties, we got personal computers. The technological environment in the nineties was miraculous. The millennial generation grew up on it. Their mental health was fine. A lot of the indicators of teen mental health were actually steady or improving in the late nineties, and all the way through the two-thousands—even up to 2011. And then in 2012 and 2013: boom. The graphs go way, way up. Mental health falls off a cliff. It’s incredibly sudden.”
Haidt adds that adults have a fully developed prefrontal cortex, but teenagers do not. Their brains are still in a more childlike state, lacking strong impulse control. With all the distractions and entertainment available on their phones, they're easily drawn in—even without social media.
According to the CDC, teen girls are particularly experiencing record high levels of violence, sadness, and suicide risk.
In fact, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on social media and youth mental health, citing that while social media has potential benefits, there are significant indications that it can harm the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.
Social media use is nearly universal among young people, with up to 95% of those aged 13-17 using a platform, and over a third reporting they use it “almost constantly.”
“The most common question parents ask me is, ‘is social media safe for my kids’. The answer is that we don't have enough evidence to say it's safe, and in fact, there is growing evidence that social media use is associated with harm to young people’s mental health,” said Dr. Murthy. “Children are exposed to harmful content on social media, ranging from violent and sexual content, to bullying and harassment. And for too many children, social media use is compromising their sleep and valuable in-person time with family and friends.”
A generation is clearly at risk.
“We are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis, and I am concerned that social media is an important driver of that crisis – one that we must urgently address,” Dr. Murthy said.
Can the genie be put back in the bottle? It won’t be easy.
Social media companies offer platitudes, not solutions. The government's efforts have been minimal so far. It’s up to parents, educators, and local leaders to act. A good start is to restrict access to social media for children who aren’t ready for it, just as we do with other potentially harmful substances, as well as outlawing smartphones from schools. States like California and New York are making efforts to do this.
How do we go about this? Let’s take a look at some ideas.
Implementing Age-Gating: A Practical Approach
What Age Should We Allow Access to Social Media?
Experts of all stripes disagree on this, so I’ll call it: 17.
Allowing access to social media at age 17 could be ideal because, by this age, teens certainly have have developed better cognitive skills than they had at age 13, including impulse control and decision-making. They are generally more emotionally mature, which helps them handle online interactions more responsibly.
Additionally, older teens should be more aware of risks like privacy concerns and cyberbullying. This age also serves as a preparatory phase for adulthood, helping them learn to navigate digital spaces responsibly before entering college or the workforce.
I should add that my child received a smartphone and limited access to a couple of social media platforms at age 14. During the COVID lockdown, she missed her friends terribly, and my wife and I agreed that she needed a way to connect with them since we weren’t allowing close physical contact until a vaccine was available.
We made a judgment call, and I hope it was the right one.
Enhanced Verification Processes
How can a social platform confirm users' ages without relying on their word? Three common options include: uploading a photo ID with a birthdate, providing a video selfie for age estimation through software, or having parents verify their children's ages. Or maybe all three.
Parental Controls and Monitoring
Providing parents with the tools to monitor and control their children's social media use is essential. Platforms should offer robust parental control settings that allow parents to restrict access to certain content and monitor their child’s activity.
Education and Awareness Campaigns
Raising awareness about the dangers of unrestricted social media access is crucial. Schools, community organizations, and the platforms themselves should educate both parents and children about online safety, privacy, and the importance of digital literacy.
Are these methods perfect? No, but they are certainly better than the current lack of safeguards. Perhaps, just perhaps, social media companies can be motivated—by being shamed—or more likely sued—to improve the situation.
Holding social media companies more accountable is something we can do by contacting our elected officials and insisting—no, demanding—they help us protect our children.
Or sue the social media companies into oblivion. Lawsuits are expensive, take a long time and are nobody’s idea of fun, but thousands of suits may just get social media companies’ attention.
The time to act is now.
Let's join forces and demand that social media companies take responsibility for protecting our youth. Contact your representatives and school board, participate in community discussions, and, most importantly, talk to your children about the importance of safe and responsible internet use.
However, remember this: parents like me with teenagers swimming in these shark-infested waters have to realize that nobody is going to do this for you in the near-term. But that’s no excuse to throw up our hands.
Our kids need us. Let’s row in the same direction and make some damn waves.