The Education Ombudsman explained why banning social media for children won't solve the problem

Education Ombudsman Nadiya Leshchyk stated that any potential restrictions on children’s use of social media must be accompanied by alternatives for their leisure time. According to her, before imposing a ban, it is necessary to offer schoolchildren other ways to spend their free time.

"Our lawmakers are already considering a ban on social media use for children under a certain age and are developing relevant proposals. However, it is important for me to understand whether this ban on social media use will actually be effective, how the initiatives implemented in other countries will be carried out, what specific technical solutions will be used to verify a child’s age, and how safe they will be," Leshchyk wrote on Facebook.

According to her, it is important to recognize that when banning social media for children, we must offer them an alternative.

"And here we’re talking about alternatives for how they spend their time: creating opportunities for children’s self-fulfillment, developing and increasing funding for extracurricular education, which is in decline in some communities. We must offer children free clubs and activities, foster youth communities and spaces to meet their social needs, emphasize the importance of offline activities, promote reading, and so on,” she added.

She also drew attention to just how varied the role of gadgets can be in school life.

“They affect academic performance, communication among students, and children’s psychological well-being. At the same time, they serve as a means of communication with parents—which is especially important during wartime—and also help document human rights violations. We must strike a balance between the interests of all participants in the educational process. Therefore, my position is that we should not impose a legislative ban on the use of cell phones in educational institutions under martial law, but to develop specific rules under which a teacher may require that a student’s cell phone be kept in their bag with the sound turned off so that it does not interfere with the educational process,” the ombudsman noted.

In addition, Leshchyk drew attention to two bills—Nos. 15395 and 15396—introduced by members of parliament regarding the protection of participants in the educational process from destructive online trends and countering such trends.

“They establish obligations for teaching staff and administrators of educational institutions and hold school administrators accountable, while failing to define any obligations for students and their parents, who bear direct responsibility for the child’s upbringing. That is precisely why I do not support these bills. I believe it is important for all stakeholders to join forces to protect children, particularly in the digital environment,” the ombudsman emphasized.

As previously reported, in late July, the French Parliament voted to pass a bill that, among other things, prohibits children under the age of 15 from accessing social media.

In June, the British prime minister stated that the government intends to impose a ban on social media use for individuals under the age of 16.

Previously, a number of countries, including Australia, Norway, and Spain, had expressed their intention to ban social media for children under 16.

Leshchyk wrote about this on Facebook.

In France, there are plans to ban social media for children under 15.

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