Social Media Bans: Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has spoken out against growing demands to ban or restrict social media access for minors following the tragic deaths of three young sisters in Ghaziabad. He argued that such bans misunderstand the realities of the modern digital world and could leave children ill-prepared for a highly competitive global environment.
The incident, which occurred on February 4, involved the alleged suicide of three minor sisters who reportedly jumped from the ninth floor of their apartment building. The tragedy has reignited a nationwide debate on digital addiction, online safety, and the mental health impact of social media on children.
In response to the incident, several voices on social media and in public discourse have called for stricter regulation of online platforms, with some advocating a complete ban on social media use for children under the age of 16.
On Monday, Varma shared a detailed note on social media titled “BAN THE BANNERS,” criticising the push for blanket restrictions. He wrote that banning social media in the name of child protection ignores how deeply digital platforms are embedded in today’s information-driven world.
According to Varma, it is misguided to view social media merely as a distraction. He said that platforms now function as critical pipelines for real-time knowledge, skill development, and networking—factors that increasingly determine success in education and careers.
He further warned that restricting access in one country while others remain digitally open could deepen global inequalities. Varma argued that children in countries with bans would fall behind peers elsewhere who gain early exposure to information flows, online communities, and informal digital learning.
“A teenager in a non-banning country develops intuitive mastery over information, experiments with ideas, and builds digital social capital,” Varma noted, adding that such advantages compound over time into better academic outcomes and professional opportunities.
The filmmaker also challenged the idea that bans meaningfully protect children. While acknowledging concerns around offensive or harmful content, he said the broader cost of information deprivation is far greater in a world where speed of knowledge is a decisive factor.
“These bans don’t safeguard childhood,” Varma wrote, warning instead that they could create a generation of “digital latecomers” who enter adulthood less informed, less adaptable, and structurally disadvantaged.
The debate comes amid reports from police that the Ghaziabad sisters were allegedly distressed after their father confiscated their mobile phones, fearing excessive obsession with Korean pop culture. Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case.
