Should Nepal restrict minors’ access to social media?

Governments worldwide are increasingly moving from soft guidelines to strict legal bans on social media for minors, a trend Nepal has yet to adopt. Nations like Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and France have already enacted or are preparing to implement laws restricting access for those under 15 or 16. This global policy shift stems from mounting evidence linking social media use to mental health crises, addictive platform designs, and rising cybercrime.

Public health concerns are at the forefront of these regulations. Social media platforms are engineered for addiction, employing features like infinite scrolling and autoplay to maximize engagement. Adolescent brains, still developing impulse control, struggle to self-regulate against these triggers. Excessive screen time is directly correlated with increased rates of depression, anxiety, and body image issues among teenagers. Furthermore, unrestricted access exposes minors to dangers such as online predators, grooming, and extortion, while late-night usage disrupts crucial sleep patterns.

However, these bans are not without controversy. Critics argue that blanket restrictions infringe upon children's rights to information and public participation, potentially isolating them from vital online support networks. Enforcement also poses challenges, as mandatory age verification could necessitate sharing sensitive personal information, creating privacy vulnerabilities. Moreover, tech-savvy teenagers might circumvent these measures using VPNs, potentially leading them to even less regulated and more dangerous online spaces.

While South Asian neighbors like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are actively debating or implementing similar measures, Nepal's current legal framework focuses on content moderation rather than access restrictions. With cybercrime against minors in Nepal having quadrupled in three years, and the exacerbating influence of generative AI, the country faces growing pressure to address the digital exposure of its youth.