By Billy Mijungu
It is time to decisively enforce a ban on social media use for children under 16. Childhood and early adolescence are formative stages that require protection structure and discipline. At this age access to electronic devices should be limited to desktops or laptops and strictly for academic purposes. Unrestricted exposure to social media platforms has proven more harmful than beneficial to young minds that are still developing judgment emotional control and social awareness.
The dangers posed by social media to children are numerous and increasingly evident. Young users often lack the capacity to discern safe engagements exposing them to manipulation grooming cyber bullying and indecent content. Social media platforms are driven by profit and attention rather than safety. Algorithms promote harmful material without regard to age maturity or emotional readiness leaving children exposed.
Social media addiction is another growing concern. Children are increasingly trapped in cycles of constant scrolling digital validation and instant gratification. Addiction undermines discipline weakens attention span and negatively affects academic performance. More critically it erodes the development of a strong work ethic. For a focused productive and responsible citizens, early regulation of social media use is must.
Unregulated online spaces also promote dirty interactions and excessive time wasting. Even as online learning expands within basic education firm boundaries must be maintained. Without proper controls children drift from educational content into unsafe social media environments under the guise of learning. Digital access must therefore be accompanied by strong rules guidance and digital hygiene to safeguard values behaviour and healthy development.
Globally countries have already taken concrete steps in this direction. France has enacted laws requiring parental consent for children under fifteen to access social media platforms. Norway has proposed raising the minimum age for social media use to fifteen with strict enforcement mechanisms. The Netherlands has issued strong government guidance discouraging social media use among young children while promoting phone free school environments. Italy and Germany have reinforced age restrictions through data protection laws that limit how platforms engage with minors. These measures reflect a growing recognition that child protection must evolve alongside technology.
Protecting children from premature exposure to social media is not censorship. It is responsible governance informed parenting and a necessary investment in the moral social and intellectual future of society.
