Calls to protect kids online are swinging between two extremes. Blanket age gates that ignore platform design and new laws that legally burden parents while leaving Big Tech untouched. This article examines why neither banning access nor turning parenting into compliance fixes the real problem, and why meaningful youth protection requires shared responsibility and accountability by design.

Parents are right to call for stronger rules to hold big tech accountable. We agree. However, when government oversight happens without transparency, new risks emerge. As governments gain influence over social media platforms, they also gain influence over what is seen, shared, or silenced. This article explores why control over digital spaces matters for families, democracy, and how young people learn to understand the world.

Age-gating social media feels decisive, but it targets access while ignoring design. In a world of social AI where interaction is embedded everywhere, bans become a game of whack-a-mole. This article explains why treating digital platforms as products, not playgrounds, and regulating safety by design holds Big Tech accountable while preserving family autonomy and supporting real youth readiness.

Calls to ban youth under 16 from social media are driven by real concern, but age alone is a blunt policy tool. After working with over 680,000 Canadian teens, we see a reality missing from the debate. Many youth are learning, creating, and building skills online. Before drawing a hard age line, we need to ask what opportunities, growth, and potential we may be quietly taking away.

Debates about youth and social media are stuck on age limits and bans, while the real risk is quietly evolving. This article argues that regulating who can access platforms misses how those platforms are designed to capture attention, shape behaviour, and profit from engagement. As AI driven social and companionship systems replace legacy social media, policies focused on yesterday’s platforms risk leaving the most powerful drivers of harm untouched.