To think Social Media should be banned for under 16s

[Halfmanhalfcake]

Off the back of Esther Gheys campaigning about phone use and social media,
I was thinking how bonkers it is that we (as a society) haven't put in stricter controls over social media / internet use for kids yet.

It's as if the technology has developed too quickly, and parents have been left scrabbling around trying to control whatever they can, in what is essentially a completely unregulated cyber world.

I realise that some people are anti nanny-state, but imagine if CBBC started showing snuff films or porn in the middle of some teen drama. When mental health problems in children are soaring, and there is some evidence to show a link to phone / social media use, it seems totally nuts that regulation isn't being enforced at a higher level.

I see grown adults lose all perspective just from being on twitter, how on earth do we think kids can handle it better?

What benefit is it for children under 16 to be on social media? So they can do some tik-tok dance craze? If you want to do a dance just do it in your front room with your mates. To post posey-influencer style images at 13/14? For whose benefit?

I've heard people argue that its unrealistic to think that it can be changed now. Why? My kids are still young so maybe i dont understand.

Put more activities out in the real world and make sure teens can access them - and they won't always need to seek out an online life

But online is now another 'realm' and it is integrated in almost everything we do. And children have far more things to do that in the past, but these things are not accessible at their fingertips. Perhaps parents need to put money where their mouths are. Come offline.

Sadly, this. Would love to, though.

Why is it so impossible?

Mumsnet, facebook and fortnite manage to have a reporting system to block irresponsible or dangerous/offensive users. Why can't other social media platforms?

Why can't they ban pornhub or certain users of onlyfans?
They can but it would take effort and they just don't want to as they enjoy the money it makes 💰💰💰

@LuciferRising yes - come offline is all very well - but don't ban it because for some people it's very important to them.
It seriously is down to the parents to get their children offline and/or only accessing suitable things.

A ban until 16 wouldn't stop addiction from that point on. Social media wasn't much of a thing until I was a similar age and certainly Facebook didn't really pick up until I was 18+, I'm still addicted to my phone.

I don't know how we stop it, I need to lower my phone usage yet rely on it for business as well as personal use, and a lot within the same apps so just having a work device and a personal one wouldn't work.

My 10yo is a gamer and has a small YT channel, and is otherwise not on or seemingly very aware of other social platforms. We do limit his gaming and especially his consumption of YT videos, but again he uses his pc for productive things like creating (games, videos, graphics for thumbnails etc), so I'm hesitant to limit his general device usage because I can see that being how he earns a living if he continues as he is with wanting to create and code

It's very difficult to balance, but I am grateful that for now the worst social media he is exposed to is YT comments (which I get notification of via email, so is monitored)

I can't believe how naive some people on here are by saying it's as simple as parents monitoring it.

In my job I've come across vulnerable kids who have been taken advantage of in respect of county lines, along with youngsters being groomed and bullied etc.

The results of some of these situations are devastating and dangerous.

Their parents have done pretty much everything to stop it, but teenagers can generally find a way to get on social media without their parents knowledge!

It’s seems to be this age that are making all the “millennials are messing up their kids by letting them watch YouTube” videos. We should probably listen to them, they’ve been through it fresh.

I agree with this as I think social media and smartphones in general are damaging for kids

but not sure how they'd enforce it

Half of my husband's family no longer speak because of one teen family member's social media addiction and the fallout.

She was totally unregulated as a young teen, bought followers, posted lewd content and had open public profiles.

Her mum played dumb whenever people raised concerns, and used it as ammo for her parental alienation agenda against her dad. The Teen concerned grew up with colossal levels of entitlement and manipulation and she placed her "influencer" greed above all of her most pivotal family relationships.

She never made it as an influencer by the way.

It’s not a terrible idea but how would you actually do it.?

Our government can pass all the laws it likes but what power do they actually have over companies and users based all over the world.

And even if you get past that how do you actually make it work? They can ban facebook for all of us but banning facebook just for the u16s only is a lot more complex.

I don't think anyone is saying it's as simple as parents monitoring it.

However as you also say:
teenagers can generally find a way to get on social media without their parents knowledge
So they will if they're banned. And I'm certain that if they are being groomed, or county lines, one of the big things the groomers will do is give them a wonderful mobile phone (to hide from the parents) and that will be so tempting for a child whose parent doesn't let them. They groomers aren't really going to care that giving a mobile phone to a child is illegal are they?
When the child then becomes uncomfortable at what the groomer is asking, they have absolutely no one they can go to because they know they shouldn't have the phone. So the situation for that would be worse.

What I'm saying is that it is far better for them to be allowed and given the tools to use it.

(Edited to remove a random word at the bottom! )

If a child / family is at the stage of being groomed / county lines then banning social media for under 16’s won’t stop that at all. Like cutting off a branch when you need to up root the tree.

Many Adults would need a serious life re evaluation if FB was banned outright for everyone. It’s far more than just posting a few photos for Aunty Vi in Australia these days!
Peoples jobs, and lives are operated using it!
You can’t put any bans or restrictions on other countries putting stuff on the internet. This country (nor any country) has that power over everyone else.
Government could put an outright ban on some sites but others exactly would spring up within days to fill the gap. There is no answer currently to this problem except parental knowledge and supervision. Parents not bowing to peer and child pressure to have the latest phone and app younger and younger because their child is pestering that everyone has it.
As I said upthread- the controls are there USE THEM! Learn the tech. Get wise and knowledgable about what’s out there / new apps / new threats and how to control it on your child’s devices.
If most parents did this, the problem would be so so much less. It’s very frustrating when you have got all the restrictions in place and your kid hangs out with Johnny on the bus who’s parents haven’t put any restrictions on and he’s watching you tube and googling whatever he likes in front of your child.

They should ban parks and park benches. As kids might sit down and talk to one another, about topics that we don't personally find comfortable.

They should ban pubs, because I've heard some pretty terrible conversations in the pub.

@MargaretThursday

There were comments on here saying that it's pretty much down to parents monitoring their children's usage.

I can't now find them and have seen some posts have been deleted. Perhaps it was those!

considering shows and films of various nature, id also add a ban on tv as it can be debated that it still influences behaviours otherwise why do we have marketing, adverts etc

Live streaming sites are more dangerous.

You do realise grooming can happen to any child.

No more CBeebies?

Ban tv for all under 16s? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
because I have no words for the ridiculousness of this idea.

My daughter is only 4, I'm really hoping social media is no longer a 'thing' by the time she grows up.

There's a whole raft of kids that have hidden social media accounts. Loads of those who apparently don't. But the other kids tell you

and yet here we are discussing social media ? how are the two any different they provide different content and influences

yes, and eg pepper pig etc

How would that be enforced?