Psychologist Odgers argues social media bans may worsen teen safety
8 reported
Canadian psychologist Candice Odgers, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, argues that social media bans for teenagers are likely to make things worse, not better, according to a Guardian interview published July 16, 2026. Odgers, who has studied adolescent mental health for 25 years, disagrees with social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s view that social media is the primary driver of a mental health crisis among young people. She points to research published last month in the British Medical Journal that found more than 85% of under-16s in Australia who participated in a study were still using social media three months after a ban came into force. Odgers says bans risk pushing teenagers into less safe and less regulated spaces, making them less likely to report harms. She also notes that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concluded that the reality of social media’s impact is more complicated than the cultural narrative of universal harm. Odgers gave both her children smartphones at age 11 and let her daughter use Snapchat at the same age, contrasting with Haidt, who said his 16-year-old daughter has not signed up for social media.
What’s reported
Candice Odgers is a Canadian psychologist and professor at the University of California, Irvine.
She has studied adolescent mental health for 25 years.
Odgers believes social media bans are likely to make things worse, not better.
Research published last month in the British Medical Journal found more than 85% of under-16s in Australia who participated in a study were still using social media three months after a ban.
Odgers gave both her children smartphones at age 11 and let her daughter use Snapchat at the same age.
Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, said his 16-year-old daughter has not signed up for social media.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concluded that the reality of social media’s impact is more complicated than the cultural narrative of universal harm.
Odgers says her funding comes from US federal agencies and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, not tech companies.
Key figures
Candice Odgers, Canadian psychologist and professor at the University of California, Irvine
Jonathan Haidt, social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation
Sources: The Guardian
