What if you could solve the youth mental health crisis with a single piece of legislation? What if a ban could claw back childhood from the algorithm, restore attention spans, and shut the door on predators, all in one stroke?

In recent months, several countries, including France, Greece, Denmark, and Indonesia, have announced plans to limit access to social media for children and teenagers. Australia was the first to implement these rules last year, setting an example for others. The UK is now planning a similar ban for children, expected to start in 2027, with the clear goal of protecting young people. The idea is simple: set a rule, enforce it, and keep children safe.

But as the debate reaches the Gulf, a more complicated picture is emerging. Experts warn against seeing blanket bans as a simple solution. “The real challenge isn’t keeping young people away from technology; it’s teaching them how to engage with it safely and responsibly,” says Andreas Hassellöf, Founder and CEO of Ombori.

Some believe this approach should not be adopted exactly as it is. Instead, it should serve as a reference point rather than a ready-made solution for the GCC. “A blanket ban for the GCC, especially the UAE and Saudi Arabia, may sit awkwardly with national ambitions around digital transformation, innovation, youth participation, and AI readiness,” says Professor Elsa Mathew, Dean of the Manipal Institute of Liberal Arts at MAHE Dubai.

For Cheryl McSweeney, Deputy Head – Whole School and Regional Safeguarding Lead at Nord Anglia International School Dubai, any policy must be adapted to local realities. She says, “social media ban offers useful lessons for GCC countries in prioritizing child safety and digital well-being, but it would need careful adaptation to local cultural, legal, and enforcement contexts.”

At the school level, the debate is already moving beyond policy into practice.

Stephanie Watson, Deputy Head of Secondary at the British International School (BIS) Abu Dhabi, says, “student voice suggests that a balanced approach may be more effective.”

“Debate around social media should focus not only on access, but also on education, responsibility, and well-being,” she adds.

Now, in classrooms, the main question is not just whether children should use social media, but what kind of digital world they should grow up in.

A BAN THAT DIVIDES OPINION

Across Europe and beyond, governments are increasingly debating whether social media platforms are compatible with childhood at all,  while there are rising worries about algorithms that drive engagement, addictive use, cyberbullying, and harmful content.

Experts say the appeal of prohibition lies partly in its simplicity.

“A complete ban is often the simplest solution to announce but rarely the most effective solution to implement,” says Hassellöf. “Sustainable digital safety comes from a combination of engaged families, digitally aware schools, responsible platforms, and sensible regulation. The strongest digital ecosystems are built on shared responsibility, not a single rule.”

Mathew adds that bans can be psychologically compelling but structurally limited. “A complete ban is emotionally attractive because it appears to offer a simple and decisive solution to a complex problem,” she said. “But from a media psychology perspective, bans rarely remove the desire. They often push use underground, through VPNs, borrowed accounts, or unregulated spaces.”

She adds that enforcement itself introduces new risks. “There are also privacy concerns around age verification, because proving age online can create new surveillance and data-security risks.”

PROTECTION VS. PARTICIPATION

In the Gulf, the debate is even more complicated because of the region’s digital ambitions. The UAE and Saudi Arabia want to lead in AI, digital governance, and future skills, making it harder to limit young people’s access to digital spaces.

“The UAE has shown that strong governance and rapid innovation can coexist,” says Hassellöf. “Any future measures will likely succeed if they protect users without slowing the momentum of digital transformation.”

McSweeney says this balancing act is already visible in education systems across the region. “As the UAE and Saudi Arabia both highly prioritize student well-being alongside technological advancement, targeted, well-regulated restrictions would align with their broader goals without undermining digital growth.”

Mathew agrees that a hybrid model is more realistic than prohibition. “A layered model rather than a complete ban would work better in this context,” she says, pointing to “stronger age-appropriate design, platform accountability, limits on addictive features, restrictions on stranger contact, transparent algorithms, parental tools, and most importantly, media literacy in schools.”

She adds that GCC countries are uniquely positioned to develop a culturally grounded child digital wellbeing framework that protects children without treating digital life itself as the enemy.

WHAT STUDENTS ARE ACTUALLY SAYING

While policymakers debate frameworks, students are already living inside them.

Watson says students consistently describe social media primarily as a communication tool rather than an entertainment system. “Many students told us they see social media primarily as a tool for communication,” she says. One student explained that social media should be used to make plans and meet friends in real life, not to spend hours scrolling.

But students also recognize the structural power of algorithms in shaping behavior.

“’We should be able to choose what type of content the algorithm shows us and switch off things that make us feel negative,’ said a student,” says Watson.

Watson adds that views on bans were mixed and often conditional. “It would only really work if younger children never started using it in the first place, another student noted,” says Watson, highlighting how difficult it is to reverse habits once digital engagement is established.

At BIS Abu Dhabi, these insights are being translated into school-level policies. The school is launching a Digital Charter next year, co-designed with parents, students, and staff. “The charter will promote healthy, balanced, and responsible technology use, ensuring digital citizenship remains a shared responsibility across the entire school community,” Watson says.

BEYOND SOCIAL MEDIA: THE RISE OF AI COMPANIONS

Experts warn that the regulatory challenge is already moving beyond traditional platforms.

“AI companions are not simply another social platform,” says Hassellöf. “They create more personal, conversational, and sometimes emotional interactions.”

He adds that this shift requires a fundamentally different regulatory approach. “As these technologies evolve, it makes sense to evaluate them through a different lens, particularly when younger users are involved.”

The concern is no longer just about screen time, but about the emotional attachment to systems designed to simulate human interaction.

Hassellöf says responsibility must begin at the design stage. “If you build a platform or service, you are responsible for designing safeguards that protect the people using it. Safety should be built into the product from the start, especially when minors are involved.”

THE PRIVACY PARADOX OF AGE VERIFICATION

As governments consider stricter age controls, a new tension is emerging between safety and privacy.

“Every layer of verification introduces new questions around privacy, security, and data management,” says Hassellöf. “The challenge is ensuring that we verify age without creating unnecessary collections of personal information.”

He adds: “The safest systems are often the ones that know the least about the user while still achieving the objective.”

Mathew echoes this concern, warning that digital safety solutions must avoid creating surveillance-heavy systems in the name of protection.

SHARED RESPONSIBILITY

Despite differences in policy approach, experts converge on one point: no single actor can solve the problem alone.

“Technology can support a child, but it cannot replace a parent,” says Hassellöf. “Families remain the first and most important line of defense when it comes to digital wellbeing.”

McSweeney says this principle is already embedded in school strategy across the UAE. “A combined approach is likely to be more effective and, in the long term, more sustainable in ensuring young people are safe online and have a positive digital footprint for the future.”

And schools are increasingly acting as mediators between policy and lived experience, helping students build habits rather than simply follow rules.

A FRESH APPROACH FOR THE GULF

Experts tend to agree that both extreme approaches should be avoided.

Total prohibition is seen as too rigid. Total openness is seen as too risky.

Instead, experts point toward a hybrid model built on literacy, accountability, design reform, and parental engagement.

Hassellöf says trust is central to this equation. “Trust is the foundation of every successful digital economy,” he said. “If people don’t feel safe online, innovation slows down. The most forward-thinking countries understand that child safety and technological progress are not opposing forces; they are mutually reinforcing.”

The GCC may ultimately be best positioned to define this middle path. “GCC countries may be better placed to build a culturally grounded child digital wellbeing framework that protects children without treating digital life itself as the enemy,” says Mathew.

Rather than treating digital life as a space to restrict, the emerging Gulf approach treats it as a space to shape, through education, design, and shared responsibility.

And in that distinction, policymakers may find not a ban, but a blueprint.