Banning children not the answer on online platforms

AUSTRALIA'S decision to ban children under 16 from social media, with Denmark eyeing similar measures for under-15s, has reignited a global debate about children, technology and harm.

- BELINDA MATORE

IF THE law is serious about children's rights, then regulation must focus where the power actually lies with platform design, business models and the incentives that shape the modern internet, says the writer. | RON LACH Pexels

(RON LACH Pexels)

The political appeal is obvious: draw a clear line, claim protection and move on. But from a South African legal and policy perspective, this approach is both insufficient and misdirected. It treats children as the problem, rather than the digital systems that systematically fail them.

Studies across psychology, human-computer interaction and digital governance show that harm to children online is not simply a function of access, but of platform design choices such as algorithmic amplification, persuasive design, endless scrolling, social comparison metrics and targeted advertising optimised for engagement rather than well-being.