It is no news that social media, especially Instagram, has a massive influence on the lives of young people. Now, with the new initiative by Metawhich includes a special version of Instagram for teenagers starting in January 2025, we are faced with a question so much as delicate as it is polemical: Instagram is bad for kids?
There is much talk about the dangers of social media for young people, to the point that some nationslike Australia, are thinking of ban social media for children under 16. It almost seems like the old warning “seriously harmful to health” applied to cigarettes is now ready to be transferred to the digital world.
Underestimating the problem for Instagram for minors
One of the most discussed topics is thenegative impact of social media on the mental health of young people. If years ago schools and parents tried to understand the first signs, today there are no more doubts: Social media is addictive. This is not an opinion of someone who “hates technology”, but a fact recognized by those who live and work in the sector.
Parents find themselves increasingly helpless in the face of a reality they cannot control. Despite the parental control measures promises from Halfthe truth is that it is easy for a teenager to circumvent these limitations. It would be enough to ask an adult friend to register for them, and the whole system collapses.
Social vs. Gaming: Who Wins the Addiction Battle?
While the debate over social media for minors rages, another threat is lurking: gaming. More and more experts agree that, although social media is dangerous, Gaming is the real plague for kids. With titles like Fortnite and Minecraft capturing the attention of the younger generation, many parents are finding themselves faced with a digital gambling addiction which mainly affects males.
The idea of ban social media or limiting its use will not solve the problem, but may actually make it worse, creating a escape to other forms of digital entertainment. As demonstrated by several experiences, every prohibition increases the desirelike that vegan kid who devoured three hamburgers as soon as he had the chance. And if the Boys If they were deprived of social media, what would be their next obsession?
Then we have to ask ourselves: why has Meta only now decided to move in this direction? The suspicion is that behind everything there is, as always, a question of business. The delay in implementing these measures raises doubts about the real desire to protect children.
The real solution? It doesn’t exist
The truth is that there is no simple solution. Banning access to social media is not practical, not only because kids find ways to bypass the blocks, but also because the world of work requires digital skills. We cannot raise a generation of digital illiteratesbut at the same time we cannot ignore the damage these tools are doing to their mental health.
So what? As parents, teachers and members of society, we need to find some more attractive alternatives. Sport, for example, could be a solutionbut that’s not enough. The truth is that the Smartphones and social media are designed to be irresistibleand combating such an addiction requires an enormous effort, which goes far beyond simple prohibition.
In a world where everything happens through a screen, the real challenge will be to balance the use of technology without it taking over the lives of our children.
What do you think? Leave a comment and let us know your opinion on this controversy that concerns us all closely.
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