Expert: Banning Teens From Social Media Is Wrong Approach

Canadian psychologist Candice Odgers, with 25 years of experience studying adolescent mental health, contends that banning teenagers from social media is a misguided approach likely to exacerbate problems. She believes the prevailing narrative, which identifies social media as the primary driver of declining youth mental health, is misleading.

Odgers argues that complex factors such as economic recessions, rising adult mental health issues, and the Covid-19 pandemic are more significant contributors to adolescent distress. She highlights that research has found limited data to support the idea that social media is the main cause of these issues.

Instead of bans, Odgers advocates for governments to invest in building better communities and safe physical spaces for children. She suggests that resources spent on measures like device-blocking pouches could be better utilized for hiring more teachers and school counselors.

While acknowledging the need for regulation and prosecution of online harms like sextortion, Odgers insists that bans are not the solution. She points to research indicating that teens circumvent bans, and making social media a forbidden topic could reduce open communication about online experiences and harms.