Shaharyar Khalid

ISLAMABAD: Imagine waking up one morning to find your child&#39;s social media apps simply do not work. Would you feel happy, sad, or conflicted? You&#39;re likely not alone. Four experts weigh in, yet they cannot agree. Muneeza Zafar, a mental health counsellor, believes banning is a good start. Child psychologist Khubi Khaleeq disagrees. &ldquo;They won&#39;t stop it. They&#39;ll look for a way to hide it better.&rdquo; Meanwhile, Asad Baig, founder and director of Media Matters for Democracy, offers a third path. &ldquo;We should start with educating parents instead of a carpet banning like the UK or Australia.&rdquo; This split reflects a global debate. In December 2025, Australia formally barred under-16s from YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and X. Non-compliant companies face fines up to 50 million Australian dollars ($35 million). Britain followed on June 15, 2026, banning Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X for under-16s, with enforcement targeted for spring 2027. Days later, the UAE became the first Arab nation to act. Its cabinet resolution bans under-15s from creating or operating personal social media accounts, giving platforms 12 months to comply. Notably, parental consent cannot override the restriction. France, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Canada are moving in similar directions. &ldquo;Every parent can see it with their own eyes. Social media makes children unhappy,&rdquo; Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at Downing Street. Baig argues everyone now acknowledges the harm. &ldquo;Mark Zuckerberg apologized to parents after nudity appeared on their daughters&#39; Instagram timelines. Chatbots in the US were involved in harm that resulted in suicide. A California court ruled that platform design itself, not just content, promotes addiction,&rdquo; he says. Clinical psychologist Syeda Aleezah Shah explains how &ldquo;constant exposure causes dopamine loop disruption. Constant notifications trigger short-term reward pathways in a child&#39;s brain, lowering their attention span for real-world tasks.&rdquo; Khaleeq notes that &ldquo;attention span, stress management, social engagement, and exposure to violence are all deteriorating for a child&#39;s personality. But there is always a plus side.&rdquo; Enforcement, however, proves difficult. Research on Australian teens reveals over 60% who had accounts before the ban retained access using printed face masks, borrowed parental IDs, and VPNs. &ldquo;You can literally ask any AI the mechanism to override these things, and it will tell you,&rdquo; Shah notes. Baig warns banning major platforms creates false comfort: &ldquo;Many other platforms like Roblox and PUBG have predators. Banning could promote a false sense of security.&rdquo; Zafar maintains her position. &ldquo;Children under 16 get no substantial benefit from social media that they wouldn&#39;t get through play, family, or exploring,&rdquo; she says. However, Khaleeq counters with how &ldquo;balancing it with strategies that help children accomplish those needs holds the key.&rdquo; While Shah suggests that &ldquo;we must educate parents about cyber safety and security.&rdquo; Baig issues a sharp local warning. &ldquo;Unlike Australia and the UK, we have a diverse society where young entrepreneurs make their livelihood from platforms like Facebook. A ban could be counterproductive. This might not work in Pakistan.&rdquo; Four experts, yet no consensus. As more countries follow Australia and the UK, the real question becomes whether one policy can ever fit every society.

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As governments move to block children from social media, four Pakistani experts offer sharply different answers to a question parents everywhere are asking: Do bans actually work?

Articles tagged with "global digital policy"

To ban or not to ban: Do social media restrictions for minors work?

To ban or not to ban: Do social media restrictions for minors work?