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But are we protecting them or are we getting used to shrinking their space?
Adult concern is not unfounded.
I have taken part in several child rights and protection programs run by non-governmental organizations in Vietnam, studying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, a document that does more than call for protection from harm. It also affirms children’s right to be heard, to access information and to express their views.
That is why I do not see a ban on children using social media as just a management tool. To me, it is first a question about how adults respond to fear.
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A person is about to delete the Facebook app on a phone. Illustration photo by Pexels |
The fear comes from a threat that feels both large and close. Children face risks of bullying, scams and manipulation online. These pressures can affect their focus, sleep and sense of safety.
For many parents, phones and social platforms are no longer simple entertainment tools. They look more like a doorway to a space filled with things they cannot control.
In that context, the word “ban” sounds decisive and wins support. It also gives adults a sense that they are doing something to protect children.
Besides, banning is easier than forcing platforms to change how they operate, building a strong digital skills curriculum in schools or helping parents guide their children through a space that many adults still struggle to understand.
In other words, a ban can reflect a sense of powerlessness as much as resolve. This deserves a clear look. Children’s rights have never had only one side.
Children need protection from abuse, manipulation, exploitation, and spaces where even adults may struggle to defend themselves.
They also have the right to access information, learn, connect, and take part in social life.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child speaks not only about protection but also about voice, access to information and children’s place as rights holders.
In this era the digital environment is no longer on the margins of life: For many children, it is part of learning, friendship, entertainment, curiosity, and how they imagine the world beyond their families.
If the only item on the agenda is whether to ban it, we narrow the debate.
The larger question is this: How do we protect children without taking away their other rights?
If we do not want “ban” to become the only reflex, society needs at least three layers of protection.
The first layer forms a circle around children, including families, schools and local communities. Families should not only control screen time; they must be places where children can share what they encounter online without fear of blame.
Schools should not stop at general lessons on values. They need clear channels to respond when students face bullying, image leaks, harassment, or scams online.
Communities play a similar role when incidents happen locally.
Children cannot face the digital world alone, and need a close, real support system with people who take responsibility.
The second layer builds children’s ability to protect themselves. This is the most important part. Children need resilience. They should learn to spot scams, grooming and emotional manipulation. They should understand privacy and know how to say no and when and how to seek help and how to recover after harm. A child who can protect themselves stands a better chance of facing risk without being overwhelmed by it.
The third layer is a rapid response system for children’s digital safety, but this is where we are lacking.
When children face doctored images, leaked videos, impersonation, or harassment, families and schools often do not know who to contact, where to report or how to get harmful content removed. There needs to be a clear point of contact, trained professionals, coordination with platforms, and the ability to quickly block harmful images, videos, accounts, and content before the damage spreads.
These three layers are not abstract ideas. They can start with concrete steps: a real digital skills class in school, a teacher assigned to handle reports, a parent support group, a local unit that helps resolve online incidents involving children, and a clear process to work with platforms when harmful content appears.
I do not believe that every limit on children online is wrong; some limits are indeed necessary since society has both the right and the responsibility to set rules that protect children.
The right question is not whether to ban children from social media. The better question is what kind of world we want children to grow up in, and what layers of protection adults are willing to build so they can move through that world without being left alone or locked away.
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