The social media ban may cause more harm that good
- Shannon Walker
- 24 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Banning social media has been debated since it became popular alongside violent video games. It has long been said that these things negatively affect children's development. But now the social media debate is gaining more and more traction.
Since Australia banned social media for under-16s in early December 2025, the UK has begun considering a similar ban. But what would this mean for under-16s in the UK?
Since so many apps and services are already blocked after the Online Safety Act was implemented in 2025, more services are expected to be blocked for under-16s.
Some apps have already begun implementing measures to keep children safe, despite the ban still being debated in parliament.
For example, Roblox, a gaming platform, has already created an age verification service that groups users by age. It still lets those in different age groups play together, but they can no longer chat in-game.
Using facial recognition technology, the game groups users into the following age groups: 5-8, 8-12, 13-15, 16-17, 18-20, and 21+. But it isn't a fool proof age verification technique.
When used, it declared that I was 13-15, which allowed me to speak to those much younger than me.
So, in protecting children, it has arguably left them more vulnerable, leading them to believe that anyone they are speaking to is in their age group, despite verification technology often failing.
But is under 16 really the right age group to ban social media for?
At 15, you can legally work 12 hours a week. 15-year-olds can also make their own decisions about their health without parental consent.
The age of responsibility in the UK is 10, meaning that if this ban goes through, teens will be able to go to jail for their actions, but will not be able to use social media.
Some feel that, instead of under 16, the ban should apply to under 14s, but many apps already require users to be a certain age to use them. Instagram and TikTok both require users to be 13 or older, and TikTok already blocks users under 18 from accessing Live videos.
Snapchat, one of the most popular messaging apps for under-18s, also requires users to be 13, but some features can be blocked.
But do people agree with the ban? When asked on social media, 66% of respondents said they believe social media should be banned for under-16s, while 22% said it shouldn't.
One user said: “Social media, while a sometimes very positive form and place, has many negatives and dark sides. It can be challenging to manage appropriately how much time you spend on it, especially for a child. It is very addictive, and it is designed to be that way. Social media leads to unhealthy comparisons between peers and others with unrealistic standards. There are many things shared online that should not be seen by a young teen. There are much better things for children to be spending their time doing. I, for one, wish I had not been on social media at a young age.”
The majority of respondents to the poll agreed that not enough is being done to protect young people from the dangers social media may expose them to.
33% of respondents shared that they or a loved one had experienced cyberbullying while using social media.
Cyberbullying has been an issue for as long as the internet and social media platforms have been around. Still, it has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, especially during and after COVID.
The national bullying helpline revealed that over half of the UK's 12-15-year-olds have faced some bullying in their life.
With people spending more time online, bullying is becoming more advanced, with some people posting videos belittling their victims on social media like TikTok, which exposes them to people around the world.
Faith, 15, said: “If you're seven or something, I don't think you should have an iPad or anything, I think 12 should be the age where you can legally have one”
When speaking about whether she had seen anyone suffering from social media, she said: “I have, but they're just bully victims, but you take that on yourself instead of getting help.
“I think they'll start setting stuff up, but then just forget about it and be like, ' Hm, too much money, no’.”
Social media can be used for many things, but most people use it to keep in touch with friends and family.
Aaron, 14, said: “I mean, I use Snapchat to speak to my friends, my girlfriend and even my mum, it's just how it is”
77% of respondents to the social media poll said they use social media to communicate with friends.
Still, there are other ways to do that, from simple messaging apps on your phone, ones that need your phone number, like WhatsApp, but these apps aren't as popular with young people as they don't offer anything fun like filters or videos to scroll through.
Even if social media is banned for under-16s, kids are crafty, there are always ways to get around age verification technology.
When Australia banned under-16s from using social media, so many managed to bypass it and are still actively using social media, while those unlucky few are banned until their 16th birthday.
100% of respondents to the poll said they do not trust the government to verify ages successfully.
When the Online Safety Act was first introduced, many people took to social media to show how they were getting around it, from game characters to movie-based IDs, it was increasingly easy to get past the ban.
Many social media platforms provide support from mental health issues to lgbtq+ support, with many platforms having spaces specifically for those groups, but many young people will continue to feel isolated.
With social media being one of the main supporting factors in such movements like # MeToo and # Pride, it's easy to see how social media being banned for under 16s would be harmful, isolating them from being in communities and receiving support that may very well save their life.
While social media can be dangerous, it's essential to keep these spaces open. Due to the UK Online Safety Act, Iamsober, an app created to both track sobriety and provide a space for people on the same journey to different types of sobriety to discuss their experiences and offer support to others like them, had its community page blocked.
This left so many without vital support.
There are, however, alternatives to a ban that keep spaces open while still protecting children, such as allowing kids and teens to interact only with those in their own age group, or educating children and teens about the dangers of social media and how it can both help and hurt them.
Support could also be put in place to filter and prevent cyberbullying, with support groups for those who may be victims.
While there is so much danger and hate on the internet, there is still so much good, from series like “Dad, how do I?” on TikTok, where a man shows people how to do things from tying a tie to changing a tyre, social media can bring out so much good in people.
A social media ban need not be the only solution. It is, however, the easiest. While under-13s are not permitted on social media, those over 13 should be able to access these things with restrictions.
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