CNN – Opinion: Restricting and monitoring social media won’t protect kids — here’s what will
This op-ed – authored by CDT’s Michal Luria and Aliya Bhatia – first appeared in CNN on May 16, 2024. A portion of the text has been pasted below.
Keeping kids away from “harmful” content requires a consensus around what “harm” is and what content causes that harm. But beyond that, research doesn’t prove that restricting children from accessing content helps. Research demonstrates that keeping kids away from some types of content causes them to use online resources less. But teenagers, in particular, use online services to gain access to vital information, including on sexual health, fitness and nutrition and mental health conditions.
According to the Global Kids Online 2019 survey, kids with less restrictive parents tended to use the internet for a range of informational and creative activities, while kids of more restrictive parents leaned toward entertainment-only activities. Another study revealed that restrictions prevented kids from using the internet for completing simple tasks like homework.
But restricting online access not only discourages young people from spaces that can be crucial for their information-seeking and learning — it doesn’t even keep them safe.