A Digital Dilemma: To Ban or to Regulate Kids’ Social Media Access?

A fierce debate over children’s online safety is igniting in South Africa following Australia’s landmark decision to ban social media access for children under 16. Advocacy group SmartphoneFree Childhood South Africa (SFC-SA) is urging the government to follow suit immediately, framing it as a critical “public health priority” before the new school year. However, leading child rights organisations are pushing back, advocating for tighter regulation and empowerment over an outright ban.

SFC-SA’s head of strategy, Kate Farina, argues the international trend is clear. “Countries are recognising that social media is ‘harmful by design’… We cannot afford to be left behind,” she stated, citing alarming local Unicef data: 70% of SA children aged 9-17 use the internet without parental consent, and 67% of those exposed to sexual images encountered them online.

A Call for Caution and “Balanced Approaches”

Child protection experts, while acknowledging the severe risks, warn against a blanket ban. Dr. Shaheda Omar of The Teddy Bear Foundation suggests South Africa should first observe outcomes in Australia, noting the practical difficulty of enforcement when schools issue tablets to 11-year-olds. “Safeguarding childhood in the digital age requires a balanced approach,” she said, emphasizing monitored use and parental empowerment.

Adeshini Naicker, director of Childline KZN, echoed this, supporting stronger protectionslike meaningful age verification and safer platform designbut not necessarily a full ban unless it’s proven the most effective solution. She stressed the need to ensure children’s rights to information and expression aren’t violated.

Sarcasm and Systemic Problems

The debate took a sharper turn on social media itself. Community member Ebrahim Essa questioned the logic of punishing children for systemic failures, sarcastically noting, “After all, it’s kids who create the platforms of pornography, child trafficking… and wars.”

Government’s Stance: Regulation, Not Yet Prohibition

The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies indicated it is pursuing a middle path. In a statement, it highlighted its Draft White Paper on Audio and Audio-Visual Media Services and Online Safety, which proposes mandatory safety obligations for platformsincluding age verification and parental controlsbut stops short of advocating a full ban. The department aims for a “balanced, evidence-based regulatory approach.”

The core question remains: in a country grappling with vast digital inequalities and real online dangers, is a sweeping prohibition the right shield for children, or is it a blunt instrument that ignores practical realities and stifles digital literacy? For now, the government appears to be betting on regulated gates, not outright walls. But as Australia’s experiment unfolds, the pressure for more drastic action will only grow.