South Africa Weighs Under-16 Social Media Restrictions Amid Child Safety Concerns
As concerns about the impact of social media on children’s safety, development and wellbeing grow, South Africa is being urged to consider restricting access to social media for children under 16.
An age restriction may be part of a wider strategy to keep children safe online, but should not be seen as a panacea, says Linique Hanekom from the Centre for Health and Human Performance at North-West University.
She stated that social media can be a source of cyberbullying, harmful content, grooming, scams and online abuse for children. Excessive use may also interfere with sleep, physical activity, friendships, play and face-to-face communication.
It’s not just what a screen does to a child, it’s what a screen may stop a child from doing, Hanekom said.
Her worries are coming at a time when several countries are implementing restrictions. Australia is implementing a national minimum age of 16 for social media platforms in December 2025, and Indonesia has also put in place age restrictions. The United Kingdom plans to make certain social media services unavailable to under-16s from 2027.
Hanekom, however, warned against South Africa replicating these policies without taking into account local realities such as unequal access to technology, digital literacy, education and data.
She said that parents, schools, government and technology companies all have a role to play in protecting children. This could include enhanced child safety settings, improved reporting systems, media literacy education, data protection, and restrictions on contact with strangers.
Children require sleep, play, movement, friendships and responsive adults, she emphasized. Technology should be used to enhance the child, not replace it, she said.
