Protecting Teen Health in the Digital Age: Social Media Bans, Harmful Ads, and the Ethics of Online Wellness
In recent months, two major developments have sparked global debate about teen health and online safety . First, Australia introduced a groundbreaking law banning children under 16 from holding accounts on major social media platforms. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, a troubling report revealed that children are being “bombarded” with online advertisements for weight-loss drugs, anabolic steroids, and skin-whitening products . These two issues may appear separate, but they share a common root: the growing commercialization of youth insecurity in the digital age. As a health-focused educational platform, it is important to reflect on what this means — not just for governments and tech companies — but for ethical health bloggers and wellness educators. The Aussie-Style Social Media Ban: Restricting Access to Protect Mental Health Australia’s under-16 social media ban aims to reduce children’s exposure to: Harmful or addictive algorithm-driven content Cyberbullying Online ...