A government working group examining the matter is scheduled to submit an interim report by the end of this month.File photo. Image: Henrietta Hassinen / YleYle News13:24A number of experts and researchers who work with youth issues in Finland have strongly criticised plans to ban social media for young people.According to the Finnish National Youth Council and Youth Sector (FYCS), such a ban would particularly affect vulnerable individuals, leaving them without vital links to peers, and other types of support.A government-appointed working group examining the matter is scheduled to submit an interim report by the end of this month.Several decision-makers in Finland have voiced support for such a ban, including Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP).In April, FYCS said that 83 youth researchers in Finland signed a joint recommendation calling for the regulation of social media platforms, rather than restricting young people's use of social media. The group organised a webinar that brought together experts and researchers to discuss the matter.However, the idea of a youth social media ban has gained momentum. Two-thirds of respondents to a survey earlier this year said they would back a ban on social media for under-15s, reflecting a nearly 10 percentage-point increase in the sentiment compared to last summer.But according to Meri Kulmala, a research director at the University of Helsinki, social media can be particularly beneficial to youths in small communities.Social media vital for minority groupsKulmala said social media can help kids find supportive networks outside their immediate surroundings, adding that those kinds of connections are particularly important for the LGBT+ community as well as other minority groups.If we want to support young people, the good sides of social media cannot be overshadowed by negative talk. None of us is saying that there are no disadvantages and risks, but that discussion must be held with young people and not past them.A social media ban could also risk online youth outreach and assistance efforts. FYCS said it has heard from many young people saying they have received more support from the online youth support platform Sekasin than they had from healthcare services, for example.It noted that Sekaisin had around 55,000 discussion threads throughout last year, while its Discord channel had more than 20,000 young users.Earlier this year, Australia became the first country in the world to ban the use of social media by people under the age of 16. The development prompted other countries to consider similar legislation, including Finland.But according to Johanna Virtanen, head of the collective behind Sekasin, Australia's ban has not entirely worked as planned."After Australia's social media ban, we know that the number of social media users has only decreased by a quarter and the ban has been really easy to circumvent," Virtanen said.Virtanen added that online chats on Sekasin have saved young lives. However, since the relatively recent limitations on use of phones in schools, contact between youths has decreased, a development which worries the collective.