Should social media be banned for under 16’s in the UK ?
On the 10th of December, the world’s first social media account ban for under 16s came to effect and is causing many to debate if such a decision would be beneficial for the youth of the UK.
Facebook, TikTok, Instagram , X, YouTube, Snapchat, Threads, Reddit, Twitch and Kick were the 10 major platforms identified to be causing what Australia’s PM Anthony Albanese called “Social Harm”. This term addresses the numerous mental health issues and physical health safety threats caused by excessive social media exposure. But some services are exempt from the ban as they fall into the category of messaging tools or educational platforms, meaning that the young people of Australia havent been cut off from all public content, only the platforms that seem to cause negative effects.
The ban is an attempt to reduce such “social harms” effecting the development of young minds caused by harmful content. Pre-existing social media accounts were deactivated for those underage ( around 4.7 million) , and the ability to create profiles is restricted until the user is over 16. The expected outcome from this new legislation is that there will be a positive response in children’s mental wellbeing but not enough time has passed to prove this yet. So for this time being, Australia acts as a live trail for the rest of the world.
Supporters of the ban believe that this a forward step towards a safer and improved environment for the youth, maximising the potential for growth, socialising and learning. Despite this ideal course of action, many have already found ways around the rules such as using VPN’s or creating accounts with their parents images or details. Critics warn that this decision potentially may push children into more dangerous, undiscovered parts of the web that lack safety measures entirely. Ultimately, the ban has resulted in a range of responses but its true effectiveness can only be told with time.
As the UK is considering taking similar action the question remains: would social media bans be beneficial for the youth of today by protecting them, or would they cause more harm than good ?
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