Bangladesh, June 19 -- The rapid growth of social media and artificial intelligence has transformed childhood and adolescence in ways previous generations could never have imagined. As concerns about cyberbullying, online predators, misinformation, addiction, and harmful content continue to rise, governments around the world are increasingly considering restrictions on young people's access to social media platforms. While these measures are often introduced with good intentions, banning or heavily restricting social media for teenagers may create unintended consequences that make the online environment even more dangerous.

Many policymakers view social media restrictions as a straightforward solution to complex digital challenges. Howe...