Tackling digital harms: why simply banning children from social media won’t protect them

We need to redesign social media and other digital platforms so that these spaces are safer and healthier, writes Louise Holly Across the globe, countries are grabbling with how to shield children from the dangers of the digital world. One idea is to prevent children from accessing the most harmful digital spaces. Australian has just introduced a bill to parliament proposing to ban children under 16 from using social media.1 If passed, it would make Australia the first country in the world to have such strict legislation. Mitigating the physical and mental health risks posed by digital platforms is an urgent public health priority that governments need to engage with, but limiting children’s online participation will not tackle the root causes of these harms. Australia’s proposed law will make it illegal for anyone under 16 to have a social media account and wouldn’t have exemptions for parental consent. Companies such as Meta, ByteDance, and Google will be responsible for checking that users are not under 16 and could face penalties if they fail to comply.2 If the law is passed, it wouldn’t take effect for over a year, …