Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a ban on kids using social media on Friday, calling on legislative leaders to look for alternatives that address issues of parental rights and free speech. While DeSantis may have valid concerns, the underlying issue that caused the Florida Legislature to look at such an extreme measure remains; according to the National Institutes of Health, in 2021, almost 50% of adolescents had a mental health disorder. It’s this alarming trend that saw Florida lawmakers pass legislation to stop kids from using social media. The bill that passed both the House and Senate would have required social media platforms to prohibit minors from creating new accounts, terminate existing accounts of those younger than 16, and use age verification for all account holders.

The question is: Would banning the use of social media actually improve the mental health of our children?

Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer as there is limited data to show the connection between social media and increased mental health diagnoses in children. The reality is, social media does not affect all children the same way. It may be healthy for some yet unhealthy for others, and it may change for each individual child over time. It is also difficult to know exactly when a positive experience may turn into a negative one.

When considering whether or not a social media ban would help, it’s important to understand all variables as each individual’s use of social media can differ greatly. From the amount of time spent online to what they are seeing and doing, there are psychological factors to consider. For example, there are many who find support systems online — ones that are unavailable to them in person.

As a pediatrician who has built my practice on treating the whole child — both physical and behavioral health — I believe social media guardrails are needed so that we can monitor kids’ exposure to social media, control their access, and limit their long-term social media reputation. I feel this is necessary until the age children are developmentally able to manage it themselves. Remember, development of the frontal lobe of our brains happens in the late teens and early 20s for executive functioning. Making good choices and understanding the consequences and risks of not doing so are brain functions that may not be fully developed in your teen.

Teens need guidance on how to set boundaries and limits on their use of social media. As much as parents and teachers try to protect them, the truth is, kids know more about how to skirt the safety guards in place. So, what can we do now to better protect our kids? I recommend starting with the following:

• Ask your teen how they are using social media and how it makes them feel. If they are upset by what they are consuming, have a discussion with them.
• Have conversations about social media and discuss how to know if what they are reading is true.
• Set rules and limits, such as no social media prior to bed and no cell phones in the bedroom at night. Sleep is critical for a healthy mind. It needs to be prioritized.
• Help your teen with privacy settings for each platform.
• Monitor your teen’s accounts as a ‘friend’ until you build the trust to know they will get help if they find themselves uncomfortable with any interaction.
• Encourage more in-person experiences.
• Set the example by modeling the behavior yourself!

In summary, more research needs to be done before we can fully understand the effects of social media and whether a ban would help. But regardless, we can confidently say social media alone is not the cause of the worsening mental health crisis in children and teens. It is, however, a place to start to find solutions to approaching this crisis. In the long run, it will take the collaborative efforts of policymakers, technologists, parents and community members — including schools, physicians and mental health providers — to improve our teens’ mental health and ensure we are building healthy, confident, happy and successful young minds.

Dr. Shannon Fox-Levine is a pediatrician and owner of Palm Beach Pediatrics, providing comprehensive care to children and young adults at three locations in Palm Beach County — Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach and Loxahatchee Groves. Visit pbpediatrics.com.