Maldives moves to ban social media for children under 16

In a landmark announcement today, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu declared that the Maldives will introduce a ban on social media access for children under the age of 16. The move makes the Maldives one of the first countries in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region to take decisive action on a growing global health concern.

The decision follows a wave of similar policies across the world, as governments increasingly recognise that unchecked social media access during formative years poses serious risks to children’s mental and emotional wellbeing.

“Social media use adversely impacts the brain, affecting our empathy and relationships and leading to a decline in mental health. No study shows that excessive social media use is beneficial to children’s brains.”

Australian psychiatrist, Institute for Family Studies (2024)

The Maldives is not alone. In the past 18 months, country after country has concluded that children need to be shielded from the algorithm.

Australia – First nationwide ban, Dec 2025. Platforms fined up to A$49.5M for non-compliance.

Mental health experts have been among the loudest advocates for this kind of policy. A collective of UK clinicians from Health Professionals for Safer Screens concluded that social media contributes to anxiety, depression, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and in the most extreme cases, suicide particularly among neurodivergent children and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“We are witnessing firsthand in our clinics the ability of social media to drive down children’s self-esteem and fuel ideas of self-harm. We have reached a critical conclusion: social media use for children under 16 must be banned.”

Health Professionals for Safer Screens, UK (2025)

The World Health Organisation recommends keeping children under five to less than one hour of screen time daily to protect healthy brain development. Psychiatrists argue a social media ban for under-16s is a natural and necessary extension of that principle.

Beyond the clinical evidence, parents across the world report a simpler, human truth: social media has quietly replaced family time. Studies tracking families who reduced screen use found measurable improvements in emotional wellbeing, reductions in anxiety and low mood, and stronger prosocial behaviour in children, all without apps.

For Maldivian families, spread across atolls and often navigating the pressures of tourism-driven economic change, the opportunity to reclaim evenings — for conversation, for play, for the natural rhythms of family life — is significant.

In a landmark announcement today, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu declared that the Maldives will introduce a ban on social media access for children under the age of 16. The move makes the Maldives one of the first countries in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region to take decisive action on a growing global health concern.

The decision follows a wave of similar policies across the world, as governments increasingly recognise that unchecked social media access during formative years poses serious risks to children’s mental and emotional wellbeing.

“Social media use adversely impacts the brain, affecting our empathy and relationships and leading to a decline in mental health. No study shows that excessive social media use is beneficial to children’s brains.”

Australian psychiatrist, Institute for Family Studies (2024)

The Maldives is not alone. In the past 18 months, country after country has concluded that children need to be shielded from the algorithm.

Australia – First nationwide ban, Dec 2025. Platforms fined up to A$49.5M for non-compliance.

Mental health experts have been among the loudest advocates for this kind of policy. A collective of UK clinicians from Health Professionals for Safer Screens concluded that social media contributes to anxiety, depression, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and in the most extreme cases, suicide particularly among neurodivergent children and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“We are witnessing firsthand in our clinics the ability of social media to drive down children’s self-esteem and fuel ideas of self-harm. We have reached a critical conclusion: social media use for children under 16 must be banned.”

Health Professionals for Safer Screens, UK (2025)

The World Health Organisation recommends keeping children under five to less than one hour of screen time daily to protect healthy brain development. Psychiatrists argue a social media ban for under-16s is a natural and necessary extension of that principle.

Beyond the clinical evidence, parents across the world report a simpler, human truth: social media has quietly replaced family time. Studies tracking families who reduced screen use found measurable improvements in emotional wellbeing, reductions in anxiety and low mood, and stronger prosocial behaviour in children, all without apps.

For Maldivian families, spread across atolls and often navigating the pressures of tourism-driven economic change, the opportunity to reclaim evenings — for conversation, for play, for the natural rhythms of family life — is significant.