What is the best way to keep my children safe online and on social media? How can they benefit from the learning and connecting opportunities provided by the Internet, without putting them at risk or affecting their mental health? Should or shouldn't I limit their access? These are the questions that millions of parents — especially those of teenage children — are asking themselves. Digital platforms, governments and children's organizations such as UNICEF are also grappling with the same issues.

Across the globe, several countries have begun imposing restrictions or outright bans on children's access to social media. Australia, Denmark, France and Malaysia have introduced national prohibitions, while others — such as Spain — are considering similar measures. Some, like the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, have issued guidance rather than legislation.

These policy shifts reflect legitimate concerns about the risks and harms that children face online. While social media can support learning and help children stay connected with friends and family, excessive use has been linked to negative mental health outcomes, including isolation, depression and anxiety. Social media also provides a channel for cyberbullying, largely due to anonymity, as well as avenues through which sexual predators can groom children or force them to share sexual images.

Despite these concerns, robust evidence on the direct link between social media use and mental health remains limited. Australia, the first country to implement a social media ban for children, has now launched an evaluation to better understand the impact of these restrictions. More evidence on this is needed globally. Nonetheless, interim measures must be taken to protect children now.

In response, UNICEF has developed global guidelines for parents, companies and governments on how to approach social media restrictions in a way that prioritizes the best interests of children.

UNICEF believes that age restrictions can be a tool for promoting online safety, but they must be implemented in ways that also safeguard children's privacy and uphold their right to participate online. Without careful design, a blanket social media ban risks driving children underground, encouraging them to create fake profiles or use others' identities to bypass restrictions, which can actually put them at greater risk. Evidence shows that weak age verification systems enable children to bypass protections intended for their age group.

To genuinely protect children, UNICEF recommends broader, systemic strategies that address the problem at its source. This needs action from companies, governments and families.

Social media and technology companies should redesign their products with child safety and well-being at the center. This includes developing rights-based age assurance tools, providing developmentally appropriate user experiences, and ensuring robust reporting and takedown mechanisms.

Governments should establish strong legal and regulatory frameworks to keep children safe online. Banning social media for children may not be the solution. Age-related rules should be complemented by measures on companies' accountability to design safe products, implement effective content moderation and conduct child rights impact assessments.

Children, parents and caregivers should be meaningfully engaged in discussions about age limits, platform use, and the broader impact of social media on children's lives. Parents and caregivers need better support in improving their digital literacy. The burden of monitoring children's online activity should not fall on families alone.

These issues are particularly pressing in China, which at 97 percent has one of the highest child Internet penetration rates in the world. In recent years, China has strengthened laws and policies to protect minors online, including the Law on the Protection of Minors (2021), the Personal Information Protection Law (2021), the Provisions on the Cyber Protection of Children's Personal Information (2019), the Cybersecurity Law (2017), and the Regulations on the Protection of Minors Online (2023), along with rules on minors' use of online games. Together, these policies have improved platform accountability, introduced youth modes and parental controls, and set out clearer requirements for content management, data protection and reporting.

China is currently preparing a new law for the prevention of cybercrime, which has recently opened for public consultation. This presents an opportunity to further reinforce platform accountability, mandate child-focused safety measures, and improve monitoring, takedown and reporting mechanisms for harmful content. It also offers a chance to define a broader strategy for creating a safer digital ecosystem for children.

UNICEF works with partners in China to strengthen child-focused policies and regulatory frameworks; to share knowledge and international experience; to equip frontline workers with the tools they need to identify and respond to cases; and to raise awareness of digital safety among parents, educators and children.

Ultimately, keeping children safe online is a shared responsibility. It is only through collaboration among technology companies, governments, academia, civil society, parents, frontline workers including teachers, and children themselves, that we can ensure children can learn, participate and thrive in a safe digital environment.

The author is the UNICEF representative to China.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.