What do experts think about the ban of social networks for children?

12 Feb 2026

Evgeniya Altfeld Nikitina

In Spain, there is growing discussion about banning access to social media for children under the age of 16. The initiative was presented by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who described social networks as a space where laws are now ignored and crimes are treated with tolerance. According to him, the state has a duty to protect minors from what he called the “digital Wild West”. La Cotorra explains what psychologists and digital security experts think about the restriction of social media for teenagers.

«Social media has turned into a failed state»

The restriction on access to social media for minors under the age of 16 has become central in a package of initiatives aimed at tackling abuses on digital platforms. Under the proposal, the platforms themselves would be required to verify users’ age.

“Social networks have turned into a failed state — a space where laws are ignored, and crimes are allowed,” Pedro Sánchez said. “We are obliged to set boundaries and protect children in the same way we do offline.”

The authorities are also discussing the creation of a monitoring system for major platforms and the strengthening of tech companies’ responsibility, including possible sanctions for the spread of illegal content and the manipulation of algorithms.

Silvestre del Río, a juvenile police officer and digital security expert, regularly holds meetings in schools across Spain. He told La Cotorra about the main risks for children associated with the virtual world. In his view, many parents and children still do not fully grasp the full scale of risks online.

«It’s not just about inappropriate content, but also sexting, cyberbullying, grooming (situations in which an adult gains the trust of a minor in order to exploit them later — La Cotorra’s note), dangerous viral challenges and eating disorders» – he says. «An unregulated internet is like sending a child to war and telling them they’re going to Disneyland.».

Del Río says that in Spain, children’s access to content intended for adults has become normalised. According to him, the average age at which children first encounter pornography is around nine, and in many cases, this happens accidentally.

The risks are not limited to social media alone. Chats within online games and children’s apps have also become spaces where bullying and other forms of aggression take place.

«What seems unacceptable to an adult often appears amusing to a child»

At the Trafalgar school in Valencia, pupils are not allowed to use mobile phones or bring them into the building. Students who, for whatever reason, need to bring a phone to school are required to hand it in for safekeeping and collect it again after lessons.

A ban on the use of mobile phones in educational centres is in force across the entire Valencian Community and is enshrined in regional legislation, Trafalgar’s headteacher, Alberto Villanueva, told La Cotorra. In his view, restrictions on minors’ use of social media are a justified measure — albeit a long-overdue one.

«What an adult finds worrying or unacceptable often seems funny to a child. There are real examples of this: children watch viral videos with inappropriate content and then imitate what they’ve seen, without realising that it can be physically dangerous» – Villanueva explains.

According to him, the use of mobile phones and video games should be under parental control, and parents, in turn, need to understand exactly what their children are doing on the other side of the screen.

Spanish psychologist Elena Anguiano supports the idea of systemic restrictions and points to a rise in mental health problems among children and adolescents. “Social media is already affecting anxiety, depression, eating behaviour and the cognitive abilities of young people,” she noted in a conversation with journalists. “We cannot turn a blind eye to this.”

«Guidance and awareness are more important than restrictions»

Speaking to La Cotorra, child psychologist Natalia Loseeva noted that such a measure could reduce the risks of early and uncontrolled immersion in social media, but would not solve the problem on its own.

“You can’t control all the digital content the internet might throw at a child,” she says. “But you can maintain a relationship of trust with them — one in which they will come to their parents with any difficult situation, rather than hiding it out of fear.”

According to her, adolescents are in a particularly vulnerable position, as they have a strong need to explore different social roles and to belong to a group. “A ban can provide a framework, but what fills that framework is the family’s daily work,” Loseeva explains.

Isabel Calvete, head of the association of parents’ groups, believes that digital education should form part of the school curriculum and not be reduced to restrictions alone.

«A ban on its own is not a solution,” Calvete says. “Supporting and informing families is often more important than simply imposing restrictions».

AMETIC, the association representing Spain’s digital industry, argues for an approach that moves beyond outright bans. It suggests measures such as designing services with safety in mind, introducing age-based levels of protection, setting appropriate default settings, and promoting digital literacy among both children and parents. “A ban may prove ineffective and, in the long term, could lead to greater inequality and wider digital divides,” the association warns.