Under-16 Social Media Ban? The Urgent Push To Make the Internet Safer For Children

By Zakir Hussain Rangwala

In right now’s digital world, youngsters are rising up with smartphones, tablets, on-line video games, and social media. The web helps them be taught, discover creativity, and keep linked with associates. Nevertheless, together with these advantages, there are severe dangers. Cyberbullying, on-line predators, gaming dependancy, dangerous content material, id theft, and display screen dependency are rising considerations. Many youngsters don’t totally perceive the way to shield their private info or recognise on-line risks. In consequence, mother and father, faculties, and governments have gotten extra alert about digital security for minors.

Considered one of the largest considerations right now is unrestricted entry to social media platforms. Children beneath the age of 16 are sometimes uncovered to inappropriate content material, adverse peer stress, and unrealistic comparisons that have an effect on psychological well being. There have additionally been instances the place minors had been focused by means of pretend profiles or manipulated into sharing private images and knowledge. In response to those rising dangers, discussions round stricter digital laws have began throughout India.

Andhra Pradesh has proven sturdy concern about youngsters’s social media utilization, and there are conversations about introducing restrictions or perhaps a attainable under-16 social media ban to guard minors. Different states are additionally exploring related measures to restrict early publicity to social platforms and scale back on-line hurt. Whereas such steps might take time to be applied, they mirror the seriousness of the difficulty.

Accountability Nonetheless Lies With Mother and father

Regardless of attainable laws, the major accountability nonetheless lies with mother and father and guardians. Open communication is the first and most essential step. Mother and father ought to commonly speak to their youngsters about on-line behaviour, privateness, and the dangers of sharing private info. Children ought to really feel comfy reporting something uncommon or uncomfortable they expertise on-line. As an alternative of strict punishment, steering and consciousness work higher in constructing belief.

Parental management instruments are additionally turning into extra superior and user-friendly. Most smartphones, tablets, and web service suppliers now supply built-in parental management options. These instruments permit mother and father to set display screen closing dates, block inappropriate web sites, monitor app downloads, and filter content material primarily based on age. Social media platforms additionally present privateness settings that may limit who can view posts, ship messages, or remark. Activating these settings can considerably scale back dangers. As well as, utilizing safe passwords and enabling two-factor authentication on youngsters’s accounts provides one other layer of security.

One other essential step is educating youngsters about digital accountability. They need to perceive that no matter they submit on-line can go away a long-term digital footprint. Instructing them about kindness, respectful communication, and the significance of not participating with strangers on-line can stop many issues. Faculties may also play a powerful function by together with cyber security consciousness packages of their curriculum.

Tech Is Not The Solely Enemy

Expertise itself is just not the enemy. The purpose is to not utterly block youngsters from the digital world, however to information them in utilizing it safely and properly. Balanced display screen time, supervised entry, and protected on-line habits can assist youngsters take pleasure in the advantages of the web with out falling into its risks.

As digital use continues to develop in 2026 and past, defending youngsters on-line should turn out to be a shared effort between households, faculties, expertise firms, and governments. Whether or not by means of parental controls or proposed laws like under-16 social media restrictions in states reminiscent of Andhra Pradesh and others, the focus ought to stay clear: holding youngsters protected whereas serving to them develop confidently in a linked world.

(The writer is the CEO of BD Software program Distribution Pvt Ltd)

Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs, and views expressed by the varied authors and discussion board members on this web site are private and don’t mirror the opinions, beliefs, and views of ABP Community Pvt. Ltd.