Your thoughts on banning social media for under 16s

[OnNaturesCourse]

A topic I've been hearing a lot about on the news lately and it's got me thinking.

How do you feel about a possible ban on social media for under 16s?

(I know it has been said it won't be happening in the UK now but I found the topic thought provoking...)

YABU - it's a silly idea
YANBU - it's NOT a silly idea.

I support a ban.

Could the method to implement be that when you buy a smart phone, there is a setting which sets it to U16. Then only certain apps are available? Would that work?

I'm probably being too simplistic and naive!

No point in banning guns or drugs for under 16s, any negative outcomes are down to poor parenting. Kids will obtain them anyhow, far better to teach responsible use.

I think it needs to be part of a wider examination of the extent to which under 16s actually need a smartphone.

I object to a ban, because it's too late and the horse has already bolted. Plus there is no details of how it would eh implemented.
Unfortunately we are failing in so many areas these days, that simply aren't being addressed. But this isn't the answer.
Addressing things core, at the root would be a better idea, but that's not done either. Do children have good self esteem, good MH, know what to do about reporting bullying, and is bullying being dealt with properly when reported. If those core issues were better initially, but they aren't.

I don't want big brother telling me what restrictions on my phone and internet I have to comply with. If I'm happy with my ds's phone use (admittedly my ds's are older now), then why should others dictate what apps my dc are allowed. It's parental choice for what age you give your child a phone and what restrictions you place. That's choice now won't be parental but decided for you. I object to that.

They find a way around drinking alcohol but it doesn't mean they should get served in pubs..

Yup! Our 2 teens don’t have it and I would say are a lot happier for that. They still know all the trends as. Memes or whatever and have an active social life…

More tech education for parents please. I must be so clueless because as a grown adult who sets up my own accounts and pays the bills, I get blocked from random content deemed not suitable for me even though I've confirmed I'm over 18! How kids are even accessing this stuff is beyond me so I don't know how to protect them. I'll be accused of being a negligent parent when they somehow get into self harm content or animal cruelty or whatever. A ban would make no difference to this scenario but some adult education on the topic might help.

Better to reach them how to use it and not be influenced by it.

Number of kids I've known that had their SM account that they let their parents view and a secret one, tells you how unworkable it is.

Schools really need to up their game, not just with social media, but the entire "tech" World we now live in. They're still in the dark ages. Computing/Apps needs to be taught as a proper subject with the same kind of time as devoted to English and Maths, right from primary years. Part of that has to be online safety, bias, researching, guarding against scams and false information, "healthy" use of screens, etc., not just programming! It's too important these days and is in literally every walk of life, not to be viewed in importance alongside English and Maths. It's got to be ALL about education, education, education, when it comes to computers, Apps, social media, AI, etc., and we're lagging behind the curve because schools still see it as a peripheral issue rather than a core issue.

As we see with smoking, alcohol, drugs, etc., prohibition doesn't work. We need to educate people from the earliest possible time! Which is basically from the age that they start using screens, which sadly for a lot of kids these days is as young as pre-school ages!

We know how damaging it is now.
We need to act. We need to be decisive because there are too many complacent parents. Changes in law create changes in attitudes. Seat belts, smoking, drinking and driving, dog fouling, littering, social distancing all exemplify that.

Hard to teach over 16 years old and easier to monitor and chat with 13 years olds how to handle social media. The next more worrying phase is AI and deepfakes and how it is being used. The family and friends need to have a constant dialogue on this.
Companies and local communities need to explain what is out there and how images can be manipulated. Online bullying should be able to be reported and online bullies and trolls banned. They do this already for those giving fake news in other countries.

This.
And anything you ‘ban’ for teens just makes it more desirable and they will find a way to access it.
How about platforms are held accountable for content and parents properly educate themselves and their kids on the advantages and disadvantages of using it. Education is key. Not a ban.

Fully agree with a ban. Also agree with smart phones being banned in school. I also think platforms need to be held much more accountable for their content.

The argument they’ll do it anyway or find a way round it is invalid. Kids find a way to get alcohol and cigarettes too, it doesn’t mean they should be able to lawfully buy them.

To some extent, Pandora is out the box - that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to rein her back in, and maybe even put the lid back on.

Same as if you tried to ban people talking to each other.

Well the Taliban have done that ....