Push to ban social media for under-16s in the UK
A group of more than 60 Labour MPs have written to Prime Minister Kier Starmer, calling for a ban on social media for under-16s.
The group noted that previous governments had done little to protect young people from unregulated, addictive social media platforms, and that the UK should follow Australia’s example by instituting a ban.
“Across our constituencies, we hear the same message: children are anxious, unhappy and unable to focus on learning. They are not building the social skills needed to thrive, nor having the experience that will prepare them for adulthood,” the group said.
In the UK, the government has previously committed to addressing young people’s use of the internet through the Online Safety Act rather than enforcing an outright ban.
However, children’s use of devices is often limited. Bans on smartphones in schools, as well as parent pledges to delay their children’s smartphone use, have gained widespread traction in the UK. They are based on assumptions, including that smartphone use is addictive, distracting, and leads to children doing worse in school.
While there are clear benefits, researchers have also warned of unintended consequences of a ban.
Notably, bans could erode trust between young people and the adults in their lives. Children may be put off telling adults about something harmful they’re not supposed to have seen. This could lead to them being less able to access support.
At the same time, interviews with parents and carers from our ongoing study show they feel overwhelmed and unsupported when it comes to their children’s smartphone use. “When you’re a busy parent, making sure you’re on top of monitoring what they’re doing seems like quite a hard task,” one mother said. “There’s just not enough guidance,” another commented.
