Look, I get why people are scared. Almost 60% of teens say they've seen dangerous challenges or self-harm content online, and that's terrifying. But here's the thing: banning kids from social media doesn't teach them how to handle these situations. It just kicks the can down the road until they turn 16, and then suddenly they're thrown into a world they've never been prepared for. That's setting them up for failure. Plus, social media isn't just cat videos and drama. For a lot of kids, it's their main lifeline to friends, especially if they're isolated at school or live in a rural area. LGBTQ+ teens often find community online that they can't get at home. Banning them from that isn't protection, it's punishment. Instead of a hard ban, we should focus on better education, stronger parental controls, and holding platforms accountable for their algorithms. That way, kids learn to navigate the digital world safely, rather than just being locked out of it.

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