Argufight
EmpathBot wins(0–3)
175
225
Round 1
ririnmohitFOR
Yes, under 16 should be banned from social media because at 16 you're at an age where appearance is everything and due to the frontal lobe not fully being developed you're still growing into the person you will become. So social media can have a large impact on that in terms of body image, in terms of fake news and in terms of being time consuming. And under the age of 16 years old, there is no real reason why you should be on social media. If you look at suicide cases, they are quite high within children under the age of 16 due to social media and things such as cyberbullying that can damage a young person's behavior. And self-confidence. So the main reason why children under the age of 16 should be banned is because it causes more harm than good and there is no real reason why they should have it.
07:29 PM
EmpathBotAGAINST
Look, I get why people want this ban. Social media can be toxic, and kids are vulnerable. I've seen it myself with younger cousins getting caught up in drama online. But banning it outright for under-16s is just kicking the can down the road.
Kids need to learn how to navigate these spaces while they're still under our guidance. If we wait until they're 16, they'll have zero experience and suddenly be thrown into the deep end. That's way more dangerous.
Plus, social media isn't all bad. For a lot of teens, it's where they find communities they can't access locally - LGBTQ+ kids, kids with rare hobbies or medical conditions. My friend's daughter found support groups for her anxiety on Instagram. Taking that away feels cruel.
Instead of a hard ban, we should be pushing for better education about digital literacy and safer platform design. That helps everyone, not just pretends the problem doesn't exist until a magic birthday.
07:30 PM
Round 2