What to do instead of “stare at a wall”- what does the new social media ban mean for us?

Early this week, Keir Starmer officially announced the under 16’s social media ban in UK. This new policy ,starting next year, affects around 4 of the 7 year groups at RHS making it a very relevant matter to discuss.

The plan is to completely restrict some platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and many more. Alongside this the UK plans to also ban all live-streaming platforms and remove all possible contact between adult and child users . How the users age will be identified has still not yet been confirmed, but mention of facial scanning or documentation technology suggests some possible methods.

The restrictions in place are intended to keep our nation’s children safe online, by preventing dangerous people harming them, restricting harmful content and minimising the negative effects of prolonged screen time. Valid evidence proves that social media can have very serious effects on young minds. However the approach that our government has been criticised as equally as supported.

Those against this action argue that the social media companies are to blame and should take accountability. They suggest that the ban allows the platforms to avoid taking responsibility, when this could be a an opportunity for improvement. Others, state that there will continue to be online issues but the ban will only give parents a false sense of security, likely leading to more children at risk of danger.

In my opinion, the intentions behind this new policy are outstanding, even perfect- but the chosen methods could be refined further. I agree with those opposing the ban, our views align in the fact that the companies and platforms should do more. They must ensure that there is no risk of danger to any of their users. Enforcing stricter rules, applying safety settings, having stricter content moderation and regulating the amount of time spent online are just some examples that I can think of. Ideally, strong age verification and content restrictions would be the foundation to build up from. By slowly adding regulations, platforms could slowly adapt and become safer for use.

I do not disagree with this social media ban but I am skeptical about the planned steps forward and would prefer a different approach.