This week, the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced plans block social media platforms for those under 16 which “allow interactions and allow users to post material”.
The ban, which would not cover messaging services like WhatsApp, is expected to take effect in early 2027 and is expected to cover popular platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X.
I have asked some of my Youth Ambassadors for their reaction to the ban. The Ambassadors are all aged 16 and over, so the social media ban would not impact them, but there are plans for restrictions on some default functions for 16 and 17-year-olds are expected, like infinite scrolling. Here is what they had to say:
Isis: “As someone who already felt quite isolated during secondary school (12 to 15), I think not having access to social media would have made it worse since I used it a lot to communicate with the friends I did have, especially those I did not see often. It may have made me more likely to engage with hobbies like reading or watching movies however, a lot of the books and films I have watched and loved I have discovered via social media recommendations and then engaging with other fans of that media was something that I loved doing.
“I think young people will always try and find ways around a ban by using a VPN. A good comparison for me is that the vast majority of people my age use piracy sites to watch movies or shows that they don’t have access to otherwise and I see people maybe doing something like that. Otherwise, young people may just return to other online spaces like blogs or forums like the ones used before social media in the early 2000s, which aren’t necessarily safer and can be less regulated.”
Fasanya: “I have mixed feelings about the proposal. Social media can expose young people to harmful content, unrealistic expectations and online abuse, so I understand why the government wants to strengthen protections. However, social media has also provided many young people with opportunities to learn, build confidence, access communities, develop hobbies and have their voices heard, so I would be concerned about a blanket ban. Young people are likely to find ways around the restrictions, so the focus should be on creating safer online space, stronger digital education and effective safeguards rather than solely relying on age-based bans.”
Arianne: “If the social media ban had been in place during lockdown I think I would have felt isolated from my friends and cut off from the rest of the world. I think the ban will partially help children to feel safer online, although I have concerns that some will find loopholes to bypass the ban. The unintended consequence of the ban is that we will be raising a generation of children who will be completely unfamiliar with the social etiquette, expectations and general rules of social media which in turn could lead to mor problems in the future.”
Debbie: “I was very shocked to learn the government decided to ban social media for under 16s, and it wasn’t just a passing remark. I feel for students who will sit their GCSEs because YouTube was a massive part of my revision for my exams. I’m not sure the ban is a good idea, it feels like a plaster on an infected wound rather than addressing the root cause of the problem. Instead, I would have liked to see the government invest in social media literacy lessons in schools as restricting social media until you are 16 will not suddenly make young people better equipped to handle the online world.”
Sebastian: “The government’s social media ban stands to deny a generation of digital natives access to an environment in which they can express themselves and find communities that are not present in their day to day lives. There is no doubt that the online world can be incredibly harmful space for young people, but the question the government should be asking is ‘how can we get the best of both worlds?”
Sawfan: “I think the social media ban is a move in the right direction. From a young age, you’d hear of friends befriending or even meeting strangers they met online, so such measures could better protect young people. We are also living in a time of increasingly hyper-sexualised content, so delaying exposure to this type of content should allow educational providers to inform young people about the harms attached to it, hopefully before they encounter it. I believe it is incumbent on schools to provide appropriate education about the online world to students, so they can safely navigate social media when they turn 16.”
