Jigsaw, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health, has responded to the Government’s Memo to Cabinet on the drafting of new legislation to restrict social media use for those under 16.
While acknowledging the Government’s intention to improve online safety, Jigsaw has said the proposed Bill should move beyond simple “blanket bans” and instead place youth voice and digital resilience at the centre of the new regulations.
Referring to its 2025 youth led policy brief, Social Media and Youth Mental Health, the organisation said young people are highly aware of online risks but remain concerned that restrictive measures alone are often unrealistic. Jigsaw also warned that such controls can disproportionately affect marginalised young people who rely on online spaces for connection and support.
As the legislative process begins, Jigsaw is calling on the Government to introduce mandatory youth-informed impact assessments to ensure the proposed measures do not unintentionally harm the very people they are designed to protect.
Dr Jeff Moore, Director of Research at Jigsaw, said:
The findings from our youth-led policy research show that the link between social media use and young people’s mental health is complex. Young people speak clearly about the risks they encounter online, including exposure to harmful content and peer pressure, but they also describe how digital spaces support connection, identity development, and access to help. Many young people do not believe that a blanket ban on social media use will be effective on its own, and policies that rely only on restriction risk missing this reality.
Jigsaw, alongside many international colleagues in youth mental health, recommends an approach grounded in harm reduction. This means combining proportionate regulatory safeguards, including stronger platform safety and age-appropriate design standards, with sustained national investment in digital literacy, resilience-building, and support for parents and caregivers. Helping young people develop the skills to navigate online environments safely is as important as limiting exposure to risk.
Young people must also be directly involved in shaping the policies that affect them. Introducing youth-informed impact assessments as part of the legislative process would help ensure that new measures are practical, rights-based, and grounded in the everyday experiences of young people in Ireland.
