However at the weekend, 42 child protection charities and online safety groups issued a joint statement warning a blanket social media ban would not deliver the improvement in child safety and wellbeing needed, and would treat “the symptoms, not the problem”. Source link
The Conservatives have said they would ban social media for children under the age of 16. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said her party would raise the “age of consent” to “protect children” from harmful content such as extreme pornography. Politics latest: Minister ‘very concerned’ by violence in Iran The policy goes a step further than the Tories’ previous calls for smartphones to be banned in schools – a position the government has rejected on the grounds that it believes it is for individual schools to stop them being used in classrooms and that most do this anyway. The Conservatives have said the ban is necessary in light of evidence showing that children are now spending record amounts of time online and are frequently being exposed to violent content, pornography and other extreme material, as well as potentially coming into contact with predatory or exploitative adults. Ms Badenoch said: “As a mum, I know parents are under real pressure online. “Our policy is simple: clear rules for children, but freedom for grown-ups. This is not about …
A ban on social media for under-16s in Australia comes into effect on December 10 2025. Young people will see their accounts deactivated, with social media companies responsible for enacting the ban. In the UK, the government has 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. On the other hand, though, research suggests the cause and effect may not be so clearcut. Studies have found that phone banning in schools does not significantly increase academic attainment or improve wellbeing. We are academics with decades of experience exploring young people’s use of digital media. Our ongoing research suggests that an outright ban on social media platforms for under-16s is problematic. It neglects young …
