Overview:
As lawmakers push for stronger online protections, Colorado residents debate whether children under 16 should be banned from social media.
The debate about teenagers on social media has intensified over the last few years across the globe. Australia was the first country to ban social media accounts for children under 16, while France recently approved a ban for children under 15. In the U.S., Florida was the first state to require social media platforms to prohibit minors under 14 from creating accounts, requiring parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds to be able to join these platforms.
Though there are currently no proposals to ban teenagers from social media outright in Colorado, lawmakers have started to make efforts to increase protections for young users and regulate how platforms interact with minors.
One example is Senate Bill 26-051, passed in June, which requires providers like Apple and Google to provide a potential age range for each user to apps based on information supplied during device setup. The measure aims to help apps apply age-appropriate protections without repeatedly collecting users’ personal information.
The worldwide and national efforts to limit teenagers’ use of social media seem to be backed by scientific studies. In 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a study that concluded that social media, while providing benefits, also presents a meaningful risk of harm to youth.
Given the topic’s current relevance, this week’s Bucket List on The Street asks Colorado residents whether they are in favor of or against teenagers under 16 being banned from social media.
‘It just depends on the parents and if they’re monitoring them.’
Bianca has a 16-year-old son and spoke from personal experience.
“I monitor him on his computer,” she said. “He has a phone and he has a computer, he watches TV, but he knows the rules.”
‘I think kids under 16 should have the ability to have social media.’
Aurelio, Bianca’s 16-year-old son, also believes that teens should be allowed on social media platforms, as long as they are supervised.
“I think kids under 16 should have the ability to have social media, of course, under parents’ permission and hopefully under supervision,” he said. “So they don’t see anything and hopefully not put themselves and their families in danger.”
He highlighted the positive aspects of social media platforms, including its ability to connect people.
“I think social media is a really good way to communicate with people and find new interests,” he said. “So I don’t think social media should be completely restricted from them.”
Hitting close to home
Elene, a mother of three young children, is in favor of teens under 16 being banned from these platforms.
“I am 100% in favor of [the ban],” she said. “And I’m actually hoping that it happens before my kids are old enough to know what social media is.”
As a therapist, she says she’s seen the negative effects social media can have firsthand.
“I work with young people,” she said. “I know the effects of social media on their mental health and on their body image issues.”
Ultimately, Elene is hopeful for a future where this issue will continue to receive attention and be addressed more seriously.
“I know there are some countries that have already banned it, and I’m glad,” she said. “I feel so bad for the generation that we had to learn all of these lessons from, but I’m really hoping this is going to be a wake-up call.”
Potential exposure to violence
Denver resident Kiara voiced concerns about children being in social media, particularly referring to kids being exposed to violence.
“A lot of things that appear on social media are more [appealing] to the youth,” she said. “It’s more so gun violence, gang violence. It’s exposing them to more things that they shouldn’t be exposed to.”
Despite that, she doesn’t necessarily believe kids under 16 should be banned from social media.
“They should not necessarily be banned, but there should be more restrictions on what kids under the age of 16 are able to see, watch and click on.”
‘I think it’s had some impacts on me.’
27-year-old Katherine from Denver cited her personal experience as the reason why she believes kids under 16 should be banned from social media.
“I would say yes [to the social media ban], and that’s coming from my personal experience of being a teen on social media way too young,” she said. “It’s had some impacts on me, especially mental health-wise, as I’ve gotten older. So I think that they should be banned from social media until at least 18.”
While not everyone we talked to was in favor of an outright social media ban for kids under 16, they all agreed that some form of regulation and guidance is needed. As lawmakers around the world continue debating online safety for minors, the conversation about this topic seems to be heating up in Colorado.
