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Comment and Society

Don't ban kids from social media; create a site that works for them

Rather than simply keeping children away from social media, we need a specially designed option for them. This is how it should look, says Michael Marshall

By Michael Marshall

7 May 2025

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Elaine Knox

We need a social media site that is designed specifically for children and teenagers. And we need to do it as a non-profit, because there is no way that any of the big tech companies would ever build the sort of system that is required.

At this point, the problems with social media are all too familiar. Some concerns may be overhyped, notably the claim that social media is responsible for an epidemic of mental health conditions in teenagers. Complaints about “too much screen time” are also simplistic. But many common critiques do stand up.

Anti-feminist content has also proliferated,…

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