The title of this article was deliberately crafted to be provocative, aiming to capture your attention and spark a discussion about the growing movement among certain individuals, groups, and politicians to ban technology or social media use for youth under the age of 16.
If we are going to consider banning and regulating technology and social media for those under 16 due to its emotional, psychological, and physical risks, should we not apply the same logic to activities like walking to school, swimming, playing sports, or being a passenger in a car, where the risks of serious injury or death are much higher than social media? Let’s look at the numbers:
Walking to School: Children face risks such as traffic accidents, which can result in severe injury or death. We see an average of 20 child pedestrians killed, 4 child bicyclists killed, 1000 child pedestrians injured, and 600 child bicyclists injured every year in Canada (1)
Swimming: Drowning is a leading cause of accidental death among children, particularly in swimming pools. In Canada for youth between the ages of 10-18 years, there were 26 deaths, and 306 emergency room visits as a result of drowning or near drowning incidents (2)
Playing Sports: Sports injuries, including concussions, fractures, and even death amongst youth are common in Canada, and can have lasting impacts on a child’s health. (3)
Being a Passenger in a Car: In 2022, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death among 13-19-year-old females and one of the leading causes of death among 13-19-year-old males (4)
Some might argue that comparing these activities to technology and social media is like comparing apples to oranges. The main concern with technology and social media lies in the emotional and psychological risks, rather than the physical dangers of traditional youth activities. The call to delay or ban technology until age 16 focuses on the growing concerns about mental health risks, which some say significantly impact children’s emotional well-being and development.
However, research on the relationship between social media, technology, and mental health is inconsistent (5). While some research suggests a correlation between social media usage and negative mental health outcomes, there is an equal number of studies that demonstrate minimal to no correlation or causation. In fact, there is some good evidence-based research that shows for some youth there is a positive correlation. (5) Certainly, it’s important to recognize that under specific circumstances, and for certain individuals, social media might have harmful effects, but not for the majority of youth.
Some may argue that while the physical risks of activities like walking, swimming, playing sports, or being a passenger in a car are immediate and visible, the mental health risks associated with technology and social media are different and therefore require a different approach. But does it? We would argue that strategies to reduce risk, regardless of the youth activity, should include age-appropriate education, parental modeling, communication, understanding, participation, and oversight. (6)
As an example, how do we as parents and caregivers reduce the risks associated with walking to school, swimming, playing sports, or being a passenger in a car?
Walking to School
To ensure children’s safety while walking to school, we parents and caregivers help our kids to identify and encourage the use of safe routes with less traffic and controlled intersections. Many communities have programs to designate and maintain these safe walking routes. We educate children on road safety rules, such as looking both ways before crossing, using crosswalks, and obeying traffic signals, is also crucial. Encouraging children to walk in groups or with an adult whenever possible increases their visibility and safety. Additionally, we equip children with reflective clothing or accessories, especially during low-light conditions which can help make them more visible to drivers.
Swimming
To ensure water safety, we enroll our kids in swim lessons through local community centers or organizations to make them competent swimmers. We supervise children when they’re near water. For young or inexperienced swimmers, we ensure they are wearing life jackets which provide an additional layer of safety, especially in open water. Additionally, we ensure home pools are equipped with safety features like fences with self-latching gates, pool covers, and alarms.
Playing Sports
To ensure children’s safety in sports, we make sure they wear appropriate and properly fitting safety gear like helmets, pads, and mouthguards. We enroll them in sports programs with qualified coaches who prioritize safety and proper technique. We teach children the importance of warming up before playing and cooling down afterward to prevent injuries. Additionally, we educate them on recognizing the signs of common sports injuries, such as concussions, and encourage them to report any symptoms immediately to ensure prompt treatment and prevention of further harm.
Being a Passenger in a Car
To ensure children’s safety in vehicles, we use age-appropriate car seats, booster seats, and seat belts, and ensure they are installed correctly, and children are buckled up every time. We model good behavior by always wearing a seatbelt and following traffic rules and teach children to be quiet and calm passengers to minimize distractions for the driver. Additionally, we establish rules about who can drive them and when, avoiding inexperienced or reckless drivers, to provide a safe and secure environment for children while traveling by car.
By implementing these strategies, parents can significantly reduce the risks associated with these common youth activities, ensuring a safer environment for their children – we would argue, a similar approach to the age-appropriate use of technology and social media is what is needed rather than age banning.
Instead of banning technology outright, it is crucial to teach children digital literacy, healthy usage habits, and provide appropriate supervision until they are ready to navigate it on their own. Encouraging balanced and moderated use of age-appropriate technology and social media can help mitigate potential negative impacts.
Parents and caregivers must address both the physical and mental health risks by creating safe environments for physical activities and fostering healthy digital habits. Just as we manage the immediate risks of physical activities through education, supervision, and other protective measures, we should also educate and guide children on age-appropriate responsible technology and social media usage, balancing the benefits and managing the risks to their mental health. This dual approach can help ensure the emotional, psychological, and physical well-being of children in a complex and ever evolving onlife world, thus allowing our kids to build resiliency.
So, should we ban youth from walking to school, swimming, playing sports, or being a passenger in a car? – the answer is obviously “no”, and the same answer should apply to youth, technology, and social media in most cases!
Let’s stop regulating and punishing pre-teens and teens which is the easy and wrong thing to do, and instead target and regulate the tech companies!
Digital Food For Thought
The White Hatter
2/ https://parachute.ca/en/professional-resource/cost-of-injury-in-canada/the-human-cost-of-injury/
3/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10026611/
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