Should We Ban Social Media for Kids? A Parent’s Honest Take

If you’ve ever wondered whether social media bans are actually the answer to keeping kids safe online, or if they just feel like the answer, this episode is for you. In this solo episode of Parents Uncharted, Sarah unpacks the growing global push to ban social media for kids and teens, and why, despite understanding the concern, she’s not convinced it’s the solution. Drawing on emerging policy conversations, real-world examples like Australia’s under-16 ban, and what she’s seeing firsthand as a child safety advocate, Sarah breaks down the complexity of this issue and why a simple “ban” may not address the deeper problem. Together, we explore: ●      Why social media bans are gaining momentum worldwide ●      What early data from Australia suggests about whether bans actually work ●      Why kids aren’t leaving platforms- they’re learning to work around them ●      The privacy risks tied to age verification, biometric data, and digital ID systems ●      How bans could expand surveillance and impact everyone - not just kids ●      Why restricting access doesn’t fix addictive design or platform incentives ●      The loophole few are talking about: kids still being shared online by parents ●      Why digital literacy, critical thinking, and emotional resilience matter more than ever Sarah also shares her current perspective on what might be more effective from delaying devices and empowering parents, to pushing for stronger platform accountability and meaningful online safety legislation. This episode is a reminder that while the risks of social media are real, the solutions aren’t simple and if we focus only on restricting access, we may miss the opportunity to actually prepare our kids for the world they’re growing up in. Because we can’t put the genie back in the bottle but we can raise kids who know how to navigate it. Chapters (0:10) Introduction to Social Media Bans (2:31) Concerns and Risks (6:51) Effectiveness of Bans (10:51) Privacy and Surveillance Issues (13:41) Impact on Platforms and Children (18:07) Digital Literacy as a Solution (19:12) Regulation and Accountability  (30:59) Conclusion and Call to Action Liberals Announcement - https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberal-party-vote-on-social-media-age-restrictions-9.7159746 Wab Kinew’s Announcement- https://globalnews.ca/news/11818028/manitoba-social-media-ban-wab-kinew/ Catherine Knibbs Reel- https://www.instagram.com/p/DXcQkFiB4jp/  Children First Canada- https://childrenfirstcanada.org/campaign/countdown-for-kids/ Connect with Sarah Adams: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://momuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mom.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@mom.uncharted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://parentsuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/parents.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@parents.uncharted Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices