Norma Foley: We must listen to young voices regarding social media ban

With other countries promising to follow in Australia’s footsteps, any ban here has to be crafted with the insight and wisdom of the people it will affect, writes Norma Foley

It is very clear at this stage that social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, to name just a few, are only interested in keeping the eyeballs of young people on their services for as long as possible so they can sell advertising to them.

Every generation has used bans to respond to the social challenges of their time. There are laws in place to outlaw the consumption of alcohol and tobacco by young people under 18.

Some bans, of course, have been discredited and widely ignored. The attempt by the Anglo-Norman ruling class to ban hurling for being “dangerous” in the Statutes of Kilkenny in 1367 was a clear failure — as the recent record crowd numbers for the Munster hurling championship will attest.