Social media is the constant enemy of the youth, it seems. Country after country in the European Union (EU) has lately announced a ban for children to be on social media. It’s natural in a way. It’s a new arena. It moves in ways that are hard for a person who is grown up, including me, even if I’m still regarded as young in some contexts, to follow. And it’s at times seemed like a sea of hate, bullying, and risks.
But: as a person who has grown up to become one of the youngsters who were chronically online. My call on you is this. Remember that the kids will be alright.
Working with young people who are hard of hearing, I once and again come across the same pattern in our members. Their disability made them feel isolated. They learned how to mask not hearing well enough to pass, but not well enough to actually be included. And when they found the community that The Swedish Association of Hard of Hearing young people has (often through social media), it was an eyeopener that there is another way than masking. That there is a possibility to find communities where what’s different about them is the norm. And where they can breathe and be the ”normal” person in the room for a while. It brings community. Community that they find their way to through social media.
But also, knowledge is one of the things I think we underestimate about social media. Learning from each other’s missteps, nifty ideas, and creative solutions. These are spaces of co-creation that allow us to explore new things and learn about the world around us. Especially. This is true for kids such as I was, who live in the rural areas, where other options on how to spend your free time or learn might be limited. We open new horizons when we meet and learn about other people. That is true for the world of the internet as well.
A ban on social media is a dangerous way to go. It is shown if you discuss on a deeper level how to behave in this platform with people. Social media is not an exception today. It is a part of our society, and as such, we should treat it as such. By locking out children, we only give an excuse to the social media companies to say that we don’t need to provide a safe platform for the children. The responsibility to provide a safe environment needs to be put on the adults who provide the spaces. Not the children themselves to keep out of them.
But one might also argue that we know that there are downsides of this.
Should we just leave our children be and take consequences?
No, of course not. We should get involved, be with them where they are, offer guidance and support. Life and what we give to our children is about learning to navigate the world around us. No matter if that is how to safely cross the street, or how to behave on social media. By making sure we teach children about online safety, how to evaluate information and how to create kinder communities. That is built by bridges and knowledge, not by bans. The same goes for dance, video games, music, or whatever has been the thing that we worry about the next generation being destroyed by in the past.
Young people deserve to get the tools they need to be part of that part of society. And not be thrown out there when they’re turning the age that we choose to limit the social media use to. We need to create safe environments where young people are safe to explore, learn, build communities and thrive. That is not possible if we lock them out.
About this blog
Jonathan Elebjörk Wahlström, Co-chair of the EDF Youth Committee, wrote this editorial for International Youth Day 2026 and EDF’s Disability Voice on Youth.
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