Adolescence (11-15) is a key developmental window. A large UK longitudinal cohort study of 17.4K youth found higher vulnerability to social media in girls aged 11-13 and boys aged 14-15 (Nature Communications, 2022). 15-16 is also emerging as a global standard. Countries ranging from Australia, Indonesia, and Malaysia to Spain and Norway are moving to 16. While France, Turkey, Greece, and Poland are benchmarking on 15.

Yes, this is already done widely. Countries like the UK and Australia, and other industries like online dating, adult content, and some social media sites, use age checks today. Canada issued a new National Standard for Age Assurance Technologies (CAN/DGSI 127:2025) in 2025, providing a framework we can implement in a privacy-protecting, data-minimizing way. While the Privacy Commissioner issued a policy note highlighting that age assurance can be done in a privacy-protecting manner to protect children online and it should be mandated alongside proper guardrails. Canada has also signed a joint statement with the UK on common international approaches to age assurance, aligning our standards with international best practice.

They are the most vulnerable to social media harms and exploitation. To give two examples: About 1 in 5 gender diverse youth (21%) in grade 6-8 showed signs that are "consistent with addiction" to social media, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. This is far more than what CIS girls (12%) or CIS boys (7%) faced. The Canadian Centre for Child Protection and Leger also found that gender minority teens were especially likely to experience unwanted sexual talk online: 88% versus 77% of sexual and gender majority teens. The four most common sites for victimization named were Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Vulnerable youth deserve real support, like networks and groups designed for their well-being.

Adding friction works. We know some kids smoke, but we wouldn’t abandon age restrictions on tobacco.  And families deserve backup. Laws set norms and standards for communities and companies.

Social media was never made for children. Even their own terms and conditions have age restrictions. Nostalgia from when social media started 20+ years ago dates back to when these platforms were still finding a business model, and the technology had not developed to what it is today. Now these platforms max attention, manipulate emotions, solicit online strangers, push feeds of unfiltered user content, and exploit user data: It’s core to the business model. Asking to make this kid safe is like asking for child-friendly cigarettes or dry water.

Yes, we need that too! A complex problem like online youth safety needs a multi-faceted approach to address. This includes safer design requirements, enforcement mechanisms, education, family involvement, and age minimums. Age minimums are an important component to set norms and hold companies accountable, so that products given to children are safe for them.