Social media is a great place to keep in touch with friends, colleagues, and family members. It’s also a great way to stay up to date with the news, find funny videos, learn new cooking recipes, and so on. However, it can also be dangerous. Which is why it is not surprising to learn that Spain is looking to place a ban on social media for users under 16.
Spain wants to ban social media for young kids
During the World Governments Summit held in Dubai, Prime Minister Sanchez called social media a “failed state,” claiming that it is a place where “laws are ignored and crime is endured.” So much so that Spain wants to ban kids from using social media.
This will come in the form of new regulations, which would ban users under 16 from using social media platforms. He also expects social media companies to implement age verification systems to properly ensure that kids aren’t signing up while pretending to be over 16.
This announcement follows other countries around the world that are moving to ban social media for kids. Recently, Australia also announced a similar measure. The UK is also actively considering it, while Denmark and Malaysia have announced similar bans of their own.
But unsurprisingly, not everyone agrees with the ban, and Meta is one of them. In response to Australia’s decision to ban social media for kids, Meta urged the country’s government to reconsider. The company claimed that this could lead to kids seeking alternatives. It would also put them at risk of finding themselves in “darker corners” of the internet.
In Meta’s defense, the company does have a number of safety and security protocols in place to protect younger users. However, it’s not a perfect system. Also, some experts point out that it’s not hard to get around the ban by using VPNs.
We get it
That being said, we understand why governments are trying to ban kids from social media. We’ve seen how toxic certain social media platforms can be. We’ve also seen kids use social media to cyberbully their peers, leading to depression and sometimes even suicide. By banning kids from social media, at least until they’re of age, it could prevent these types of tragedies from happening.
Let’s not forget that social media can also be dangerous in the form of “challenges” and misinformation. Kids with developing brains might not be able to rationalize things the way adults can, leading them to take unnecessary risks or falling prey to scams. That being said, we’re not sure if there is a perfect solution to all this, but maybe a ban could be a good place to start.
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