Topical Talk

Social media ban: what do the numbers say?

Analyse the different global ideas and policies aimed at protecting young people online.

Collage of pages from the “Social media ban: what do the numbers say?” teaching resource showing the cover and lesson plan

Published 09 March 2026

About this lesson

Many countries are debating how to protect children online. Some are thinking of banning social media for children under 16; others are encouraging platforms like TikTok and Roblox to introduce better safety features.

What do the numbers say about the risks and benefits of social media for young people?

Use this lesson to help students:

  • Understand the concerns around young people’s social media use
  • Interpret real statistics about social media use
  • Debate different global approaches to online safety

These teaching resources have been created with support from PA Consulting and The PA Foundation. The Economist Educational Foundation maintained full editorial control.

Skills and knowledge

  • Listening

    Step 8: Questioning
     I ask open questions to understand more
    Did you communicate with people with the same solution so that you were prepared for the debate?

    Step 11: Identifying influence
    I recognise when someone is trying to influence me
    Did you notice when people with different solutions were trying to influence your decision?

    Step 12: Comparing views
    I compare different points of view
    Did you compare differents views when you considered which solution to keep?

  • Knowledge

    I know different solutions that are being implemented to keep children safe online.

    What are some of these solutions? What were their strengths and weaknesses?

Available downloads

Create an account or log in to access resources for this

Create account Login

Related resources

View all resources