Several countries are considering or implementing #bans on #socialmedia for #children and #teens. These bans aim to protect young users from cyberbullying, addiction, mental health issues, and exposure to predators. While some countries have already implemented bans, others are still in the process of drafting legislation. https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/06/social-media-ban-children-countries-list/?eicker.news #tech #media #news
teens
> Condescending and Harmful: Australia’s Social Media Ban https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/02/26/condescending-and-harmful-australias-social-media-ban/
The headline sums it up. As I said when news of this first broke, the kids will just find ways around it anyhow.
#SocialMedia #Australia #hysteria #youth #teens #ban #censorship #tech #stupid
I really recommend this article to people with "good intentions" who want to censor social media, impose age verification systems, and implement surveillance systems that violate basic human rights.
"Far from ‘drowning in evidence’, real researchers – not pop psychologists – are scouring a great desert looking for puddles. The majority of studies have found either no relationship between social media usage and mental illness, or effects so small that they are practically meaningless. A Journal of Public Health study published just last month which examined 25,000 young people in the UK found no correlation between time spent on social media and worsening mental health.
In addition to the proposed ban on social media, there has been an effort to reduce the use of smartphones by children by banning them in schools, on the basis that they disrupt learning. Again, there is little hard evidence to back this up. One large British study from last year found that schools adopting phone bans had no better student outcomes in terms of learning, behaviour or mental health than those without bans. In the US, as bans have proliferated, our standardised testing scores for youth have continued to decline. In my home state of Florida, testing scores reached their lowest levels in 20 years following the introduction of bans. Smartphone bans seem similarly ineffective in your country as well. This week, the British Medical Journal published a study finding that Britain’s school smartphone bans have shown ‘little impact on pupils’ mental wellbeing or quality of life’.
Some advocates argue that social media and smartphones promote bullying among kids. In fact, according to the US National Center for Education Statistics, bullying among youth declined during the smartphone and social media age, even with cyberbullying included into the figures."
#SocialMedia #MentalHealth #Teens #Bullying #SocialNetworks #Surveillance #Censorship #HumanRights
Discord will require a face scan or ID for full access next month
Discord is rolling out age verification on its platform globally starting next month, when it will automatically set all users’ accounts to a “teen-appropriate” experience unless they demonstrate that they’re adults.
#socialmedia #messaging #ageverification #discord #technology #tech #teens #teenagers
https://www.theverge.com/tech/875309/discord-age-verification-global-roll-out
Spain plans to ban social media for under-16s, with tougher age checks and penalties for platforms that boost illegal content via algorithms. 🇪🇸
The move, pitched as protecting kids from a “digital Wild West,” raises questions about enforcement, teen rights, and platform accountability across Europe ⚖️
🔗 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y2nddvmryo
#TechNews #Spain #SocialMedia #Safety #Children #Teens #AI #Algorithms #Privacy #Regulation #EU #TikTok #Instagram #Grok #X #OnlineSafety #Policy #AgeVerification #Europe
‘We will protect them from the digital Wild West.’ Another country will ban social media for under-16s
Spain will ban social media for under-16s and require platforms to employ strict age verification tools, joining Australia, France and Denmark in moves to curb the influence of digital platforms on children.
#Spain #socialmedia #teens #teenagers #technology #tech
https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/03/tech/spain-under-16-social-media-ban-intl
'Major step': French MPs vote in favour of bill to ban social media for under-15s
France's National Assembly has backed a bill that would ban social media access for under-15s, a proposal supported by President Emmanuel Macron.
Social media and teen mental health: There is no smoking gun https://tormentnexus.substack.com/p/social-media-and-teen-mental-health #SocialMedia #teens #MentalHealth
TikTok has dethroned YouTube and Instagram and become the top social app for news among young people (usa)
https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-now-top-social-app-for-news-among-young-people-2025-12
#tiktok #tiktoknews #tiktokapp #newsapp #tech #technews #topsocialapp #youngpeople #teenssocial #teens
🎉 🥂 I just published by first novel on Amazon under my pen name Lea Kinley!
It's called Smoochy and the Maga.
It's a fun, fanciful, and charming middle-grade urban fantasy novel. The perfect cozy fantasy for tweens, teens, and the young at heart. Recommended for Grade four and up or ages 8 and up.
If you're interested, you can buy it here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQ5GXSLQ
#author #bookrelease #newbook #fantasy #middlegrade #tweens #pre-teens #teens #books #cats #newrelease #bookstodon #reading
Edited 3y ago
UK to consult on social media ban for under 16s
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgm4xpyxp7lo
#BBC
#UnitedKingdom
#Teens
#SocialMedia
#Ban
#OnlineSafety
#Government
#Consultation