Educators and policymakers are confronting growing concerns about how tech is shaping children’s learning and mental health. Against this backdrop, Australia is embarking on a major experiment: restricting social media accounts for young people under the age of 16.

There are as many strong opinions about this policy as there are people who care about kids. What everyone shares is a genuine concern about harmful content, exploitation, and problematic design. Where opinions diverge is in how best to respond.

This isn’t an abstract debate. Schools are making day-to-day decisions about devices in classrooms, families are trying to navigate risks and opportunities with limited support and uneven tools, and scientists are continuing to uncover the complexity of the relationship between technology use and youth outcomes. The evidence base is far from settled.

On the ground, a majority of Australian parents support age restrictions, though many express limited confidence in the government’s ability to enforce them. The young people most directly affected are, not surprisingly, much more ambivalent. Here in the United States, many applaud Australia’s decisive action, while others worry that the policy is too blunt an instrument and could produce unintended consequences for child rights and safety.

Let’s consider the arguments for age restrictions. Raising the minimum age for creating accounts on popular social........

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