Reacción a "A study claims that social media bans for teenagers lack evidence and may carry risks"

This is a novel article that concludes there is no scientific evidence to justify banning social media for minors under 16, as has already been done in Australia and is planned for many other countries such as Denmark, France, and Spain.

The lack of evidence doesn't necessarily mean something is ineffective; therefore, I believe we should be cautious with the study's conclusions. It is a comprehensive but not systematic review. Furthermore, to determine whether the effect of the ban is null, harmful, or protective, a meta-analysis would be necessary.

The quasi-experiments reviewed lasted approximately one month, during which it may be true that young people only experience the negative effects of non-use; it is possible that the positive consequences appear in the long term. However, the limitations of the study are not addressed.

Young people already exhibit higher rates of loneliness than any other population group; perhaps social media is behind these results. Finally, the reasoning that something prohibited can provoke or increase the behavior that one is trying to reduce is appropriate, hence the great importance of accompaniment and communication with adolescents.