SIDDHARTH DESAI
Australia has become the first country in the world to enact a ban on social media for users under the age of 16. Starting now, children below that age will no longer be able to create new accounts, and ex isting profiles are being deacti vated to ensure compliance with this new regulation. The Austral ian government states that this move aims to protect young in dividuals from harmful content and to reduce various risks, such as cyber bullying, grooming and online addiction. This unprece dented step has ignited a global debate, particularly in countries now considering similar restric tions to safeguard their youth. Denmark has already an nounced plans to follow suit by banning social media access for those under 15, while Norway is examining a similar proposal that may lead to similar legisla tive efforts. A French parliamen tary inquiry has recommended instituting a ban for those under 15, along with suggesting a social media curfew for users aged 15 to 18. Additionally, Spain has draft ed a law requiring parental au thorisation for those under 16 to access any social media platform, while in the UK, new online safety rules announced in July this year could result in tech executives facing fines or even jail time if they fail to protect young users from harmful or illegal content. In India, there have been growing demands from parents, teachers and civil society to limit children’s online access, espe cially as the country has some of the world’s cheapest data tariffs and more than 300 million chil dren under the age of 15. Earlier this year, a petition seeking a ban was filed in the Supreme Court but was ultimately dismissed as a matter of policymaking. Now, Australia’s bold decision has reopened the conversation about whether India should also consider a similar prohibition, or if the solution lies not with in stricter laws but in systemic, behavioural, and educational changes. Mental health professionals, child and adolescent psychi atrists believe three primary groups would benefit from such measures being implemented in India: Firstly, parents; secondly, the teachers; and thirdly, men tal health professionals. These groups currently face significant challenges in managing chil dren’s overall well-being, espe cially as peak social media usage directly impacts mental health, academic performance and exac erbates issues like cyberbullying. However, implementing a ban similar to Australia’s might not be feasible or appropriate in India. Such a move could significantly disrupt the lives of adolescents, who would likely find ways to bypass restrictions. Instead, I advocate for a gradual approach to laws that assist adolescents in curtailing their social media us age. For example, there could be restrictions on specific platforms or limitations on internet access in particular environments, while still allowing children the oppor tunity to engage with the digital world healthily. It’s vital to recognise that social media serves as a valuable medi um of communication. Children and adolescents need to connect with friends, schools, parents and the broader world. Until now, it has been an effective and acces sible medium for expression and engagement. An outright ban for any age group could lead to dig ital exclusion, which would be neither feasible nor acceptable in a democratic country like India, where digital literacy is becoming increasingly essential. While there are valid concerns regarding social media—includ ing violent content, discussions about drug use and pervasive nudity—the question arises: If such content is harmful to chil dren, why not impose a ban for everyone? If something is in herently negative, how can it be acceptable for adults to access it without restrictions? We already have existing inter mediary guidelines and an ethics code under the IT Act 2000 that mandates social media plat forms to curate content thought fully to ensure that harmful ma terials, especially those targeting children, are not published. The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has ruled that platforms must actively monitor and clean their content, particularly regarding nudity and other harmful mate rials. Currently, approximately 800 platforms disseminating in appropriate content have been banned by Indian internet ser vice providers (ISPs). What we need to focus on is improving the responsibility of these platforms rather than blaming individual users. The platforms should take proactive measures to curate and swiftly remove any harmful content. The legal provisions for this al ready exist and must be enforced rigorously. In the short term, while we may not find immediate and foolproof solutions, it is critical to recognise that young children are increasingly presenting in clinics with various issues like bullying and body image con cerns. Adolescents are notably more susceptible to the negative effects of social media due to their developing brains, which makes them particularly vulner able to external influences. Consequently, a gradual im plementation of regulations concerning social media use is preferable to an outright ban. I agree that social media holds many benefits when used wisely and responsibly. However, ado lescents often misuse it, leaving them open to various negative impacts, including mental health problems. The lack of adequate supervi sion at home can contribute signif icantly to children falling prey to harmful content and experiences like cyberbullying. In today’s nu clear families, where both parents work, they often find themselves unable to oversee their children’s online activities adequately, which can foster a more unsafe digital environment. In conclusion, while proper measures are urgently needed to regulate social media use effec tively, any restrictions must be balanced with the recognition of social media’s educational and social benefits. We should focus on the promotion of responsible usage rather than outright bans that could hinder children’s social development and opportunities. Finally, while the Digital Per sonal Data Protection (DPDP) Act of 2023 provides a critical le gal framework to combat harm ful content, challenges remain in identifying responsible adults to provide informed consent regarding children’s data use. If a platform misuses the con sent provided, parents should have the power to withdraw it promptly and easily. In summary, we should sys tematically implement small measures, like monitoring screen time and providing ade quate parental oversight, to en courage healthy, balanced usage of social media while leveraging technology to promote responsi ble behaviour that benefits both children and adolescents alike. (The author is an advocate by profession.)
