Will a social-media ban give children the freedom to grow up?

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The UK government intends to ban social-media use for the under-16s. Launching the policy, the then prime minister, Keir Starmer, professed that while the technology had brought benefits, it now intruded ‘into every corner of life’, exposing the young to serious harms. A full ban, he argued, was the ‘right choice’ as it will give children ‘more freedom to grow up’ and to stay happy and safe.

While the details of the policy are still being developed, briefings suggest the ban will include social-media sites, such as Facebook, video platforms like YouTube, online games and artificial intelligence chat bots when they are used for ‘intimate or romantic conversations’.

Government surveys suggest strong parental support for greater intervention. However, the who, what and how social media is controlled remains deeply contested.

Those that are critical of the ban argue that parents, not the state, are best placed to judge what is harmful to their children, and that tech companies should instead be forced to take greater responsibility for inappropriate content and damaging algorithms. Moreover, social-media sites, such as Instagram and Snapchat, they add, have provided young people with important spaces to meet when opportunities for social interaction offline have been curtailed.

They also point to the educational value of sites like YouTube, which allow young people to explore ideas online and access huge swathes of information. Many have noted that it is democratically problematic to lower the voting age to 16 while curtailing young peoples’ access to the digital forums in which voters form their opinions.

Schools have already moved to restrict social-media access on-site and prepare young people for its use across the curriculum. But at the same time, they are teaching pupils who have been formed by a digital culture that exists beyond the school gates. So, will Labour’s ban ensure that pupils are healthier, happier and better prepared for school? Or will it compound the social isolation of some and restrict intellectual exploration? What can teachers do to better prepare young people for their social-media use? And if a blanket ban is too blunt, as some claim, what are the practical alternatives?