Social media bans are an attempt to manage harm – but young people can flourish online

By Chloe S. Gordon, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University
Simon P Hammond, Associate Professor in Education, University of East Anglia

In the UK, Australia and many other countries around the world, debates around teenagers’ internet and social media use are focused on risks, problems and harms.

This has been reflected in a growing emphasis on regulation, including bans on social media for under-16s.

While these concerns are both necessary and well-intentioned, this focus can miss the resilience of young…

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