Nearly 4.7 million accounts belonging to people under 16 have been blocked from social media since December 10th. Meta is suggesting that Australia reconsider its decision because it believes the ban is inefficient and that kids will be lured into downloading fewer regulated apps. The United Kingdom, France, and Greece are also considering banning social media after seeing how well it was going for the Australians.

Many parents do not pay close attention to what their kids watch, and as a result, many young children are exposed to negative online content. This ban applies to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, and streaming platforms such as Twitch and Kick. Some people think that it should be the platforms that improve their security, rather than banning teenagers for what they can find on them.

 A study revealed that 7 children out of 10 got exposed to harmful content. Content that could generate eating disorders, as well as romanticize suicide, was included in this, along with misogynistic and violent material.

After asking people what they dislike about social media, these were the most common answers we received.  “Social media is bad for your mental health; it’s ruining your vision of real life by showing you fake information all the time.”  “I feel like it’s ruining my social life; I don’t socialize as much as I used to.”

Other teenagers are sharing their thoughts on what they would feel if Canada also banned social media.  “My impression is that chaos would ensue; individuals would be angry about this.”    “In my opinion, it has the potential to be beneficial because it would enable students to focus more on their studies and other things.”

Everyone has a different opinion on this, and it could spark a conversation about what would be best. Keeping social media or banning it for teenagers?