Social media bans shut door to those who lack safe spaces

LGBTQ teens who face hostility at home and school can find community online. That could end if their governments impose age restrictions on social media use.

If you are an LGBTQ youth just about anywhere around the world, chances are that the safest place isn’t school, home or your neighborhood. It’s online.

That’s why government bans on social media for young people come at a hidden — and troubling — price for isolated LGBTQ teens.

The debate over whether youth should be banned from social media has dominated global headlines. Proponents of bans on social media argue that it fuels adolescent anxiety, depression, cyberbullying and addictive behaviors.

“As a parent, I’ve seen firsthand how these platforms use intentionally-addictive algorithms to spoon-feed young people horrifying content glorifying everything from suicide to eating disorders,” said U.S. Senator Chris Murphy last year when he introduced his Kids Off Social Media Act. It would set a minimum age of 13 for social media use and prohibit platforms from feeding algorithmically-targeted content to users under the age of 17.

The ban’s opponents argue that the restrictions are sweeping and too broad and would cut adolescents off from the web’s vast educational resources, supportive communities and vital avenues for self-expression.

Isolation and belonging

For LGBTQ youth specifically, social media can bridge the gap between isolation and belonging. It provides communities, information and relationships they wouldn’t find offline. In rural or unaccepting environments, these youths lack the support needed to gain affirmation or connection. Online communities — from niche, hyper-localized Facebook groups to Instagram broadcast channels — send them a “you are not alone” message.

“There are tremendous downsides to social media bans for those over 13, especially for vulnerable populations that depend on online connection and relationships,” said Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, a media literacy expert and lecturer at the City University of New York. “Platforms can serve as lifelines for teens who feel isolated in their own community and homes.”

On TikTok, “coming out” content emphasizes humor and the platform’s signature community-driven audio manipulation tracks, turning a vulnerable life announcement into a lighthearted and celebratory moment.

A heartwarming TikTok from 2025 Pride Month, for example, has garnered over 4 million likes. It shows actress Kevin Ninh coming out as trans to her grandmother. The grandmother embraces that she now has “two granddaughters,” hugs Kevin and calls her “she” for the first time.

TikTok videos using the #NationalComingOutDay hashtag have amassed some 239 million views.

These clips capture family members’ immediate, positive reactions. The content normalizes LGBTQ identity as an everyday fact rather than a monumental secret, reducing stress for youth. It’s a digital security blanket.

Finding community

For youth stuck in unsupportive households, hope comes from seeing a myriad of other parents react with love.

That’s how 22-year old Billy Wu from Taiwan sees it. In May, he completed his undergraduate studies at Swarthmore College in the United States.

“Online spaces can be one of the few places where my friends and I can safely explore our identities and connect with people who understand our experiences,” said Wu, who identifies as a Gen Z member of the LGBTQ community. “We should have a meaningful seat at the table when these policies are developed, because we’re the first to identify emerging risks and we know what the issues and solutions should be.”

Glisten, a nonprofit working in the United States working to end bullying in schools, published data this year that 67% of LGBTQ students feel unsafe at school and 86% of transgender students avoid specific spaces, like locker rooms, to protect themselves.

The 2025 National Survey by The Trevor Project, a nonprofit suicide prevention organization, revealed that more than a third of LGBTQ people age 13-24 seriously considered suicide in the past year.

Developing identity

These statistics are alarming, but researchers have already identified remedies. A report published in May by Cambridge University’s Minderoo Center for Technology and Democracy said that teenagers create their own communities online in which they can choose how to present themselves and that experimenting with self-presentation is an important part of identity development.

The report includes a summary of research specific to young LGBTQ people: “They derive greater benefits from digital technologies than other young people (such as exploration of their identity and finding communities with shared experiences).”

The Cambridge report lays out recommendations for ensuring that young people can safely enjoy online spaces and content through media literacy education, not only for youth but also for the people who live and work alongside them.

It calls for technology giants to build and maintain safe, age-appropriate spaces online so that young people can have the benefits and opportunities of the online world, without compromising their safety and futures.

Media literacy experts, educators and LGBTQ people say the solution lies in balancing stronger online protections with continued access to the digital communities that young people depend on. Wu, the recent LGBTQ university graduate, said the answer isn’t a ban.

“Rather than blanket bans, policymakers should require stronger default privacy settings for vulnerable populations, invest in youth digital literacy programs in schools and hold platforms responsible for a lack of safety measures,” Wu said.

Appropriate regulation

Ciulla Lipkin, the media literacy expert, feels concerned for LGBTQ youth, especially those in rural and underserved areas. “Sometimes online spaces are the only way for young people to get essential mental health services,” Lipkin said. “Shutting that connection down is harmful and has the opposite effect that social media bans claim to have.”

She said that young people must first learn the skills they need to navigate social media productively with comprehensive media literacy education. Then platforms must be safe for young people. “This will not happen with bans,” Lipkin said. “It will happen with regulation and platform accountability.”

Lawmakers in the United States are now considering the Kids Off Social Media Act. By 2027, Greece is expected to implement a social media ban for those under 15. The Government of Vietnam in July drafted a decree prohibiting under-16s from using social media without a parent-managed account.

Brittani Kollar, deputy director of The Poynter Institute’s MediaWise digital media literacy project, said that there is no one-size-fits-all strategy when it comes to social media bans. “Healthy friendships and networks built through online communities can be a lifeline for young people, such as LGBTQ youth, who do not have community support systems physically around them,” Kollar said.

Young people need to be able to identify false information, discern legitimate sources of support and identify potential biases. “It’s important to take steps now to empower youth with media literacy skills so they can better evaluate their environment,” Kollar said.

Strengthening digital media literacy skills might not be a panacea, but it would allow youth to keep benefiting from valuable social media channels more safely.

Will Greece, Vietnam, the United States and other countries follow the UK’s lead? The documented harms of excessive social media are real and can’t be ignored. But decision-makers have overlooked social media’s unique benefits for a vulnerable and isolated population.

For LGBTQ youth, the internet isn’t just screen time — it’s community.

Questions to consider:

1. What argument does the author make for reconsidering social media bans for young people?

2. Why might LGBTQ youth need safe spaces to explore their gender and sexual identities?

3. Can you think of other categories of people who might be in need of safe spaces and community?