In an era where a toddler can swipe before they can speak, the question of whether social media should be banned for children isn’t simply a matter of debate- it is an emergency. As a developmental-behavioral pediatrician, over two decades, I have seen firsthand how screen time has transformed childhood. But social media is not just another screen—it is a commercially engineered, psychologically manipulative, and algorithm-driven space that is harmful and dangerous to children’s development.
The Digital Playground: Not Meant for Children
It is well known that the harms of excessive digital exposure can be classified under five domains—each of which is exacerbated by social media use:
- Sleep – Night-time scrolling disrupts melatonin secretion, delaying sleep onset. Many children report poor sleep quality, leading to impaired attention and mood the next day.
- Vision – Prolonged screen exposure contributes to digital eye strain and an alarming rise in pediatric myopia.
- Metabolism – Sedentary screen time replaces physical activity, increasing the risk of obesity and associated health issues.
- Mental Health – The curated reality of social media feeds fuels anxiety, depression, and a distorted body image.
- Speech and Language – For younger children, passive consumption hampers real-life interaction, the bedrock of language and social development.
Social media exposure and challenges to evolutionary biology
As humans evolved from animals, the greatest improvement was perhaps in the development of the frontal lobe and prefrontal cortex. This allowed humans to go beyond the binary ‘fight and flight” response and evolve four major attributes: a. Delayed Gratification b. Rational Thinking c. Communication d. the ability to think and work together as a group. This evolutionary improvisation was coded into the genetic makeup of the species and hence every child is born with the anatomical pre frontal cortex. However, though the hardware may be present at birth (nature), it is the community living especially the nurturing care in the first few years – the nurture – that actually kindles or trains the brain to develop these functions. To achieve this, the nurturing care accorded by parents, family, extended family, neighbor’s and the community is essential.
The unrecognized perils of early and excessive exposure
- Screen time
Replacing human engagement with screen time and nurturing time with academics (also increasingly with screens) takes away the vital kindling essential to develop basic human skills and behaviours based on delayed gratification, rational thinking, communication and the ability to think as and for a group. This results in children displaying inattention to human activities and being more focused on restricted repetitive activities like animation on screens, inability to wait for turns and thus being impatient, restless, hyperactive, disruptive and aggressive. There is no opportunity to develop tolerance and resilience which is mastered by navigating a social diverse environment not always obligated to the wishes of the child. Anxiety over trivial issues and extreme behaviours are the natural consequences which become the basic ingrained attitudes of the child.
- Social media
If replacing human engagement with screen time has altered behaviours, social media and Ai threatens to alter the development of social thinking.
Social media was designed for adults. It thrives on user-generated content, peer validation, and data harvesting. Children, however, are not “mini adults.” Their brains are still developing, particularly the prefrontal cortex—the seat of judgment, impulse control, and decision-making. We cannot expect them to self-regulate in a space built to hijack even the most mature minds.
Research confirms this concern. A 2023 study in JAMA Pediatrics linked excessive social media use among adolescents to changes in brain activity related to social feedback sensitivity. Children on platforms like Instagram and TikTok begin to anchor their self-worth to likes, shares, and comments—external validations that are often fleeting, superficial, and, in many cases, harmful.
- Artificial Intelligence
A child assimilates information and knowledge from the environment around her. This develops beliefs in certain facts related to both the human and material world. These beliefs form the basis of further concrete learning. For instance, the child develops a relationship with the primary caregivers- learning from this, the child forms relationships with other stakeholders. Parallelly, the child is exposed to stories and imagination by the caregivers. The child learns the difference between reality and imagination. All of this is based on understanding and acceptance of reality as compared to imagination.
Ai exposes the child to false and fake content very early in life and this has the potential to hamper the development of reality versus imagination. Children find it difficult to distinguish between real and artificial and this will threaten the very foundation of their social structure.
The Anecdotes That Should Alarm Us
A mother recently shared came to our clinic complaining that her 10-year-old daughter became deeply withdrawn after a classmate posted a video mocking her dance moves. Another parent discovered their child secretly running an Instagram account where he impersonated a senior classmate to get more likes. These aren’t outliers—they are symptoms of a wider, systemic issue. Social media exposes children to cyberbullying, grooming, misinformation, and age-inappropriate content—all without adequate safeguards.
What’s more, many parents are under the false impression that they can “monitor” their children’s social media use. But even tech-savvy adults struggle to fully grasp what their children are exposed to. Algorithms evolve faster than family rules.
What the Evidence Says
A 2023 report from the U.S. Surgeon General labeled social media a significant risk to youth mental health. Meta (formerly Facebook) internal research leaked by The Wall Street Journal admitted that Instagram negatively impacts teenage girls’ self-image. Yet, platforms continue to push features that drive addictive behavior.
Brain scans of adolescents addicted to social media mimic those seen in substance abuse. Dopamine reward loops reinforce compulsive checking, and notifications trigger the brain’s threat system, creating a cycle of anxiety and relief that keeps kids hooked.
Is Banning the Answer?
A total ban might seem appealing, but it isn’t a silver bullet. Parents are unable to stop media use for the child as that has now become a common parenting practice. Besides, they being on screens themselves, it is difficult to get the child off it. Moreover, bans can drive usage underground, foster secrecy, and cut children off from modern peer interactions. Instead, we need a tiered, evidence-based response.
Regulate, don’t just prohibit. Children under 13 already fall outside most platforms’ Terms of Use—but these are easily bypassed. What’s needed is age verification, algorithmic transparency, and legislation mandating child-first design.
Delay exposure. Just as we delay the introduction of allergens or screen time, we must delay social media access. Age 16 should be the earliest threshold, with parental guidance. And even then, it must come with literacy—not just digital, but emotional and cognitive.
Reclaim real connection. I have long argued, through my work in the New Horizons Theory of Social Engagement, that true development occurs not on screens, but in human connection. Children need responsive caregivers, active play, unstructured time, and space to be bored. Social media interrupts these essential ingredients for growth.
What Can We Do Now?
- Model restraint: Parents who scroll through dinner cannot expect teens to “switch off.”
- Build social literacy: Teach children to question what they see, resist peer validation, and understand the emotional traps of curated content.
- Advocate for policy: As professionals and citizens, we must lobby for regulations like those in the UK’s Age-Appropriate Design Code or California’s Social Media Platform Duty to Children Act.
- Equip schools: Restrict the use of screens and social media in schools. Integrate curriculum on media literacy, cyber safety, and mental health coping strategies.
- Start conversations early: As I wrote in The Outlook, “Give Your Child the Gift of Connection.” Conversations, not commands, guide children safely through the digital maze.
The Verdict
So, should social media be banned for children?
Yes—for young children, absolutely. For pre-teens and early teens, it should be restricted, supervised, and delayed. But more than a ban, we need a cultural shift. Social media isn’t going away.
As caregivers, clinicians, educators, and policymakers, we must not let digital convenience override developmental wisdom. Childhood deserves protection—not just from predators, but from platforms built for profit, not for play.
Our task is to ensure children grow up with the tools to use it without being used by it. We are now tasked with preventing a complete shift in our childrens’ development. It is time to Stop Making Excuses.
