Beyond Bans: Crafting a Safer Digital Future with Young People
Is an outright ban the easy fix for youth digital safety?
Some EU Member States are considering sweeping social media restrictions for under 15 year olds, echoing moves in Australia. But is it the most effective way to protect young people online? Our recent ThinkYoung Webinar: “Social Media and Young People — Is a Ban the Solution?” brought together a panel of experts to debate this critical question.
The discussion featured Beatriz Martin Padura, General Manager of Fad Juventud, Marie-Catherine Wagner, Research Associate at the University of Vienna and Charles Howard, Head of Research at ThinkYoung, who are part of the #OurFeedOurFuture campaign - supported by Meta - and argued that bans fall short. Their recommendations include investing in an intelligent and collaborative approach that supports young people in navigating the digital world.
Are Bans Missing the Mark?
As Charles Howard highlighted during our webinar, "evidence on the effectiveness of social media bans is limited." Such bans are often implemented without careful consideration, risking infringement on children's fundamental digital rights like access to information and expression (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child). Young people use social media daily for connection, learning, and community. Furthermore, sudden access at an older age, without prior experience, leaves them ill-equipped to navigate the digital world safely.
Our Path Forward: Empowering Solutions
ThinkYoung advocates for a holistic, empowering approach, equipping young people with the skills to thrive online:
Smart Age Assurance: Championing OS/device-level age verification built into smartphones and devices - to ensure robust, family-friendly, age-appropriate online experiences across platforms.
Unlocking Digital Literacy: Building young people critical thinking skills for safe online engagement. Parents, guardians, and educators also need clear guidance and training to support children and set healthy digital boundaries.
Nurturing Parental Guidance: As Beatriz Martín Padura emphasised, "the focus should be on education and shared responsibility, not solely on restrictions." Parents must balance protection with fostering digital skills, prioritising trust and communication.
Listen to Young Voices, Build Together
Our discussion stressed the necessity of involving young people in debates and policies affecting their digital lives. Their voices are often missing. Co-designing solutions with them is essential for effective and sustainable outcomes. Digital safety is a global challenge demanding multi-stakeholder collaboration, uniting academics, young people, parents, educators, and policymakers for comprehensive, workable solutions.
Regulations must be clear, actionable, and adaptable to children's developmental stages, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach. Age-appropriate design, guided by psychologists and digital safety experts, ensures online spaces prioritise youth well-being. Like road safety, digital navigation requires gradual guidance from an early age for lifelong safe engagement.
Rewatch the full conversation on Youtube and join the journey toward smarter and safer digital spaces for all youth!
ThinkYoung is a not-for-profit organisation, aiming to make the world a better place for young people by involving them in decision-making processes and providing decision-makers with high-quality research on youth conditions. ThinkYoung conducts studies and surveys, makes advocacy campaigns, writes policy proposals, and develops education programmes: up to date, ThinkYoung projects have reached over 800,000 young people.
Meta is a tech company with apps that you may know, like Instagram or WhatsApp. We work hard to build online spaces where young people can learn, connect, create, and have fun. We want young people to enjoy our platforms and to be safe, so creating spaces for young people to have their say on the future of platforms like ours is crucial.
