The year 2026 has been an expensive one for social media platforms. Since March, YouTube and Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, have settled or paid out in multiple lawsuits totaling more than $17 billion for allegedly acting negligently, deliberately designing their platforms to hook kids and misleading the public about safety and privacy. If these suits are any indication of how states and the public are starting to view social media platforms, more may follow.

On top of these lawsuits, social media platforms are facing a loss of business as bans for minors are accelerating and spreading worldwide. Australia was one of the first with a ban on kids under 16 on social media starting in December 2025, followed soon after by the U.K. with a similar prohibition.

The current list of countries looking to ban minors from these platforms includes more than 20, from Greece to the United Arab Emirates to Canada. The proposed and enacted bans around the world vary in terms of age restriction, parental consent rules and age verification methods. Different countries are looking at restricting different platforms, but most include a mix of Snapchat, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.

These bans aren't necessarily for mental health reasons only—some are motivated by political concerns about foreign-owned platforms, and others aim to protect young people's privacy. But nearly every government banning social media platforms for young people mentions their mental health as a reason.

The question is, are these bans the solution to the mental health problems young people are facing? I research digital media and marketing and measure the impact of new technologies, and I'm skeptical about whether prohibiting access to these platforms will improve young people's mental health.

Mental health concerns
Since Jonathan Haidt's 2024 book "The Anxious Generation," critics of social media have increasingly focused on young people's mental health. Haidt argues that social media disrupts kids' social and neurological development, contributing to rising anxiety and depression through sleep loss, fragmented attention, addiction, loneliness, social comparison and perfectionism.

A 2026 study found that young people between 14 and 20 are more than 100% more likely to experience mental illness than 14- to 20-year-olds 50 years ago.

Increased use of social media and screen time is compounding an already precarious time for minors. In 2021, it was estimated that 20.5% of young people experienced elevated symptoms of anxiety, and 25.2% of youth reported elevated symptoms of depression globally.

Many factors contribute to this, including better screening and awareness of kids' mental health problems, as well as societal disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the world sheltered in place and moved online for work, school and social interactions, there was an increase in isolation and loneliness.

Not all bad
In light of these concerns, some researchers argue that bans on social media platforms are like putting an age restriction on buying alcohol or cigarettes.

But unlike these addictive and potentially harmful substances, there are benefits to social media, especially for teens who feel disconnected from their local communities and want to build relationships with others who feel similarly.

Social media platforms allow for global connectivity and community-building with like-minded groups. They also provide a place for self-expression and civic engagement...