‘I’m a teenager – I think we should ban social media for under-16s’
When it’s time for Emily, 15, to revise for her next test, she doesn’t crack open a book – she logs onto TikTok.
The Manchester secondary school pupil knows what this sounds like. Just an excuse to scroll and scroll and scroll for half an hour. Two hours tops.
But Emily says that social media websites and apps are her go-to revision tools because she has autism, making learning at school tricky.
‘If a social media ban happens, it will severely impact my grades but also how I interact with the world,’ she tells Metro.
Emily is one of the eight teenagers Metro spoke with about how they feel about a social media ban, a policy some government officials and online safety campaigners are pushing for in the UK.
There were mixed feelings among them, who are student ambassadors for the online learning platform SimpleStudy.
‘I believe that the loss of social media could greatly impact the way many revise for exams,’ Olivia says.
But the teen also thinks that requiring users to be at least 16 to have social media isn’t necessarily a bad thing when it comes to mental health.
‘This is because social media sets unbeatable standards that teenagers fight to become; it paints pictures of what adults and children should look like and makes individuality look false and unrealistic,’ she adds.
‘A social media ban would severely impact my grades’
The young people Metro spoke with said it sometimes feels a ban is an easy answer to a complex question: keeping them out of harm’s way.
Supporters often say that social media is a vehicle for cyberbullying, peer pressure and anxiety and a tool used by predators. It’s not so much a ‘ban’, they insist, but more like needing to be 18 to drive.
Australia rolled out a law last year that requires users to be at least 16 to have a social media account. The platforms enforce this by employing age checks, such as facial analysis or how long an account has been active.
But without social media, the teens told Metro that they’ll have even fewer ways to spend their time.
‘Social media can also act as a safe haven for many kids who cannot access physical resources such as therapists, counsellors or supportive family members,’ says Rawiyah, 15, based in London.
‘For some children, online spaces are able to provide comfort, advice and, very importantly, a sense of belonging, especially with those dealing with mental health problems, bullying or isolation.’
Two-thirds of council-run youth centres have closed since 2010 and some 38 high street shops close every day.
With mental health services strained, some teens are even turning to AI-powered chatbots to act as therapists, researchers told Metro.
Michaela, 17, from Dublin, adds: ‘Taking social media away doesn’t take away the problems we deal with in school, at home, or in our heads.
‘It just takes away one of the few places where we feel we can connect with people our age all across the world.’
‘A phone ban may encourage young people to talk more face-to-face’
Nearly every young person in the UK uses social media. Almost four in 10 three to five-year-olds have used one, according to Ofcom.
The media regulator found last year that 40% of children under 13 have a social media profile, with double that owning a mobile phone.
Among 16 to 17-year-olds, 98% use social media apps and have their own profile. Of them, 86% are on YouTube and 83% scroll on TikTok.
With social media being how most youngsters chat, Eva, a 17-year-old from London, gets why her peers would be upset by a ban.
‘Losing phone access could lead to feelings of isolation at first,’ she says.
‘That being said, a phone ban may encourage young people to talk more face-to-face, building their communication skills, which is helpful in the real world.
‘A ban could reduce distraction in lessons, improving students’ concentration levels as phones can make it tempting to multitask. Removing this temptation allows students to maximise their education in school.’
Teens like Olivia, 15, from Lincolnshire, feel that shoving teens like her off social media would be good for their mental health.
‘This is because social media sets unbeatable standards that teenagers fight to become; it paints pictures of what adults and children should look like and makes individuality look false and unrealistic,’ she adds.
There are even online trends among Gen Zers that are all about embracing older tech, like ‘dumb’ flip-phones and iPods.
A California court ruled yesterday that YouTube and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, harmed a young user with design features that were addictive and led to her mental health distress.
Features like infinite scroll and algorithms make the sites akin to smoking cigarettes or pulling the lever of a slot machine, the case argued.
Legal experts told Metro that they doubt the UK will see a similar legal case lodged, but it does capture the need to rein in tech giants.
Magdalene, 15, from Monaghan, Ireland, agrees. Unlike the campaigners and politicians double her age, she feels a ban isn’t the sole answer.
‘Instead, we should focus on educating about responsible uses, creating safe spaces for support, as a lot of teenagers find solitude online,’ she says.
‘Empowering young people to manage their lives online thoughtfully helps build resilience and confidence, while a ban would limit opportunities for connections and growth.’
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