With growing concern over the impact of social media on children’s mental health, several countries, including Australia, France, and even some U.S. states, are calling for a ban on under-16s joining social platforms.

In South Africa, the conversation is gaining momentum as KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC, Nomagugu Simelane raised concerns about the harmful effects of social media.

Simelane recently made an impassioned appeal for parents to get more involved in their children’s digital lives.

Speaking on the KZN Health Chat multimedia programme, she warned of the links between social media use and anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and even suicide among young people.

“Our children become severely affected by social media,” said Simelane.

“You realise that as parents, we take it for granted, thinking ‘it’s just a phone.’ But you find cases whereby a child may take their own life, only to find that it’s due to the pressure that they had put themselves under, based on what they see on social media.”

Simelane stressed the dangers of cyberbullying and digital peer pressure. She highlighted a case where a learner superimposed another student’s face onto a sex worker’s profile as an example of the devastating consequences of unsupervised online access.

South Africa now has 26.7 million active adult social media users, with numbers rising by over 700,000 in just one year. 

95% of children in grades 4 to 11 (ages 10 to 17) have regular internet access, and 83% of 12-year-olds already possess at least one social media account.

As a South African mother of 11-year-old girls, I can personally attest to how difficult it is to monitor online use.

Like most children today, they turn to Google rather than a library for information, drawn in by content that is visually appealing, addictive, and not always accurate.

This endless stream of algorithm-curated material can leave them anxious, unsettled, and craving even more content, some of which is often not age-appropriate.

@bbcnews Do you think social media age restrictions actually work? #SocialMedia #Instagram #ChildSafety #Meta #BBCNews ♬ original sound – BBC News

Australia

Australia is leading the global charge with the world’s first national ban on social media for children under 16, set to be implemented later this year. 

In a recent trial, their government found that digital age verification technology can work effectively, with no major technological barriers. 

Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook could face fines if they fail to comply. 

However, officials admit that stopping children from bypassing these systems remains “a big challenge.”

Globally, the push to restrict access is gathering speed

• France is pushing for parental consent for social media accounts under age 15.
• Italy has set the consent age at 14, requiring parental consent before creating a social media account.
• Norway is considering raising the minimum age to 15.
• The UK is studying the impact of smartphones on children with an eye on legislation.
• Canada (Québec and Ontario) is exploring a ban for under-16s and has already restricted phones in schools.
• The U.S. (Florida) has signed a ban for under-14s, though it is under legal challenge.

These measures are also part of a wider EU discussion on defining a “digital age of adulthood” and introducing tougher age verification rules.

Even with advanced age-checking systems in place, children often find ways around them, whether through older siblings, fake credentials or unsupervised access.

As a parent, I know firsthand how near-impossible it is to enforce total digital restrictions. Phones are lifelines, educational tools, entertainment hubs and social connectors all rolled into one. 

Banning social media for under-16s might sound like a solid plan on paper, but implementing it in real life will require not only government policy, but parental vigilance, digital literacy, and societal support – otherwise, children will just continue logging on through the backdoor.

IOL Lifestyle

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