Should children under the age of 16 be banned from social media, or is a delay with stronger safeguards the better answer?

In this special roundtable episode of The News Navigators, the conversation explores the growing debate around a possible social media ban for young people, inspired by moves in places like Australia and wider discussions in the UK and US.

The discussion looks at the real harms linked to youth social media use, including addiction, anxiety, low self-esteem, cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content, online grooming, sleep disruption, and the pressure of algorithm-driven validation.

A key theme is that social media platforms are designed to keep young users engaged, often exploiting developing brains that are more vulnerable to impulse, comparison, and peer approval.

Rather than supporting a simple ban, the main view in this episode is that the issue is more complex. The focus shouldbe on whether children are emotionally and developmentally ready for social media, and on building a stronger system of protection around them.

That includes parent education, digital literacy, resilience training for young people, school and community support,government action, and greater accountability for tech companies and platforms.

The episode also explores the tension between child safety, freedom, parental responsibility, platform responsibility, and government regulation.

While age restrictions may help, the panel argues that bans alone are unlikely to work because young people often findways around them. The stronger solution may be a combination of education, open communication, digital wellness, and platform reform.

This is a thoughtful discussion on one of the biggest parenting and policy questions of our time: how to protect childrenonline without pushing the problem further underground.

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