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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to think banning social media for under-16s is a good idea?

360 replies

LizardLore · 15/06/2026 08:18

Just being announced now - social media banned for under-16s.

My instinct is it’s great, but I am interested in other views. My kids are very small so not an issue here yet.

YABU - the ban is bad
YANBU - the ban is good

OP posts:
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8
shinypen · 15/06/2026 10:36

kirinm · 15/06/2026 10:25

My level of thinking? What damage has it done? More damage than having toxic websites encouraging bullying or eating disorders or violence?

social media is toxic. Nobody gains anything from TikTok or instagram.

We ALL agree SM is not good for kids - 100%. The crux of the issue is whether we want/can trust the government to restrict access, or we do it ourselves. WHO gets access to our personal data? You can bet there will be a lot of parties who will do whatever they can to get to it, for reasons that are the opposite of good.

My kids have YouTube - I full well know what's on there, but I SUPERVISE them, or they don't get access to the ipad at all.

Winkmurder · 15/06/2026 10:39

kaylot · 15/06/2026 08:39

I think it is awful. It should be up to the parents to decide. The lazy parents are the ones who are happy for the government to take charge rather than make decisions themselves.

That's all very well but my daughter spends 1/3 of her life with her dad and he was /is very abusive to me so co-parenting is impossible and he let her download all the apps.

There's also the reality of intense peer pressure

I'm in favour of the ban. The likes of Snapchat are designed to hook you in and keep you addicted. I am glad they can still have WhatsApp which seems far less problematic

ImpatientlyWaitingForSummer · 15/06/2026 10:39

Great idea and I hope they’re able to enforce it. I, for one, hope the entirety of social media is utterly abolished by the time my two little ones are teens. Wishful thinking…

Winkmurder · 15/06/2026 10:41

ImpatientlyWaitingForSummer · 15/06/2026 10:39

Great idea and I hope they’re able to enforce it. I, for one, hope the entirety of social media is utterly abolished by the time my two little ones are teens. Wishful thinking…

It's not wholly bad though.
I am disabled and often house bound and have built a whole network of people with my (rare) condition through social media

audweb · 15/06/2026 10:43

kirinm · 15/06/2026 10:28

Are your algorithms those that a 12 year old sees? No. That’s the whole bloody point. It’s not being banned for you.

Then speak to your children, and check what they are seeing and make sure their algorithim is appropriate. My god. It was also in response to nothing good ever comes from social media - which is not true!

CandiedPrincess · 15/06/2026 10:43

In my experience (four teens) what goes on on WhatsApp is far more concerning that social media.

shinypen · 15/06/2026 10:43

kirinm · 15/06/2026 10:25

My level of thinking? What damage has it done? More damage than having toxic websites encouraging bullying or eating disorders or violence?

social media is toxic. Nobody gains anything from TikTok or instagram.

More damage = population who allows tech companies total control over our data backed by a totallarian government. That's how they get in, they make subtle changes in the name of "good", and people fall for it.

Not unlike how trans ideology got its foot in.

As a population, we really need to start thinking "that sounds great, but hang on a minute...."

Changingplace · 15/06/2026 10:48

Sartre · 15/06/2026 09:58

They’re legal drugs and they kill millions of people annually so a tad different. Yes you’re going to highlight the minute number of incredibly sad stories linked to SM bullying but it is a tiny proportion of teens who use it. Completely different to drugs.

There’s no telling what long term damage SM is causing alongside those young people who have taken their own lives.

Left unchecked this will only grow, it’s irresponsible for online content not to be regulated properly, as other content is.

Another76543 · 15/06/2026 10:48

CandiedPrincess · 15/06/2026 10:36

This. Parent your kids.

Also; you don’t need a ban to stop your children using social media.

This is what I don’t understand. There are so many parents saying they are in support of a ban because social media is awful and dangerous, and that the ban now means their children won’t be accessing it. Why haven’t these parents actually done some parenting and stopped their kids accessing stuff they disapprove of? Why are so many parents scared of saying “no” to their children? Have we really reached the point where the majority of parents need a government to do their parenting job for them?

shinypen · 15/06/2026 10:50

Changingplace · 15/06/2026 10:48

There’s no telling what long term damage SM is causing alongside those young people who have taken their own lives.

Left unchecked this will only grow, it’s irresponsible for online content not to be regulated properly, as other content is.

This is what parents are for. Checking their kids.

Another76543 · 15/06/2026 10:50

CandiedPrincess · 15/06/2026 10:43

In my experience (four teens) what goes on on WhatsApp is far more concerning that social media.

This is another problem. Parents will now assume that things like What’s App are perfectly safe to give their children unfettered access to. Some of the stuff on the large whats app groups with early teens is awful.

User122333 · 15/06/2026 10:51

I agree that something needs to be done, although no idea what.

Our secondary school puts photos of school events on instagram. It also provides youtube links for revision. I don’t know what the school will decide to replace this with.

We love sitting together to watch snow clearing, or tree-felling, or massive engineering on YT

And like a pp, I have a rare medical condition, and rely on the internet for support for myself and the dc.

Sartre · 15/06/2026 10:52

Another76543 · 15/06/2026 10:48

This is what I don’t understand. There are so many parents saying they are in support of a ban because social media is awful and dangerous, and that the ban now means their children won’t be accessing it. Why haven’t these parents actually done some parenting and stopped their kids accessing stuff they disapprove of? Why are so many parents scared of saying “no” to their children? Have we really reached the point where the majority of parents need a government to do their parenting job for them?

Because they’re lazy as fuck and think now the government is enforcing it, they don’t have to and can just put their arms in the air and say “not my fault, blame them”.

mangoesaretheonlyfruit · 15/06/2026 10:52

As a parent who restricted social media for my own child, it did lead to some social isolation because her peers were all using it. Having a ban like this in place would have helped enormously, as the use of social media wouldn't have been so widespread in her age group.

I hope this government or a future one will also look at schools' overreliance on educational technology which is being adopted without scrutiny. I am not aware of actual evidence to suggest it is helpful to educational attainment or conducive to student wellbeing to be staring at screens all day.

youalright · 15/06/2026 10:53

I think its a great idea but I think it will be impossible to enforce

kirinm · 15/06/2026 10:53

audweb · 15/06/2026 10:43

Then speak to your children, and check what they are seeing and make sure their algorithim is appropriate. My god. It was also in response to nothing good ever comes from social media - which is not true!

i don’t let my daughter watch it because of what I’ve seen on it. Parents think kids YouTube is set up and safe for children given its name. YouTube can’t filter everything out.

it is not even about the harmful images alone. The lack of concentration and the behaviour that follows from watching that sort of stuff is so obvious to see.

I’m surprised so many parents are pro social media.

CandiedPrincess · 15/06/2026 10:53

Another76543 · 15/06/2026 10:50

This is another problem. Parents will now assume that things like What’s App are perfectly safe to give their children unfettered access to. Some of the stuff on the large whats app groups with early teens is awful.

Exactly. The problem will just be pushed elsewhere.

WhatsApp is equally as problematic in my experience - that’s where all the dodgy videos circulate. And the ones of kids getting bullied and beaten up in the toilets or the park.

CandiedPrincess · 15/06/2026 10:55

Another76543 · 15/06/2026 10:48

This is what I don’t understand. There are so many parents saying they are in support of a ban because social media is awful and dangerous, and that the ban now means their children won’t be accessing it. Why haven’t these parents actually done some parenting and stopped their kids accessing stuff they disapprove of? Why are so many parents scared of saying “no” to their children? Have we really reached the point where the majority of parents need a government to do their parenting job for them?

Exactly. You don’t need a government ban to do your job for you.

My SD has been begging for Snapchat, it’s been a hard no. It’s pretty easy to say no.

Ivyy · 15/06/2026 10:55

Well I’d rather the big social media companies take more responsibility and implement more restrictions themselves, but can’t see that happening despite all the lawsuits in the US. So this is the next best alternative I guess? I’ve noticed Tv ads from tiktok and Insta recently promoting their new teen accounts and parental controls, claiming they’re making the platforms safer for teens, too little too late imo. Plus I’m assuming the teen accounts for 13-15 year olds will be redundant now in the UK?

Dd is almost 16 so this won’t effect her by the time it comes in, I have to say though it would have been massively helpful to have this ban 3 years ago, so too late for us unfortunately. I would have been grateful to have an actual law in place and been able to say nope you can’t have those apps they’re not available until you’re 16. Covid was the slide into things like Snapchat and Tiktok for most of the 15-16 year olds we know, this has all come a few years too late for some of us.

It does also concern me that the minute they turn 16 kids and are suddenly allowed access to everything, will they be at more risk not knowing how to navigate things safely and sensibly? Like a pp said they’ll be like the kid let loose in the sweet shop! It creates a kind of cliff edge, and at a time when kids are in their GCSE year and could do without the distraction from suddenly being set free on sm. There are definitely some potential issues along the way, but overall I think it’s a good thing and wish it had been made law when dd was a few years younger!

EasternStandard · 15/06/2026 10:59

kirinm · 15/06/2026 10:53

i don’t let my daughter watch it because of what I’ve seen on it. Parents think kids YouTube is set up and safe for children given its name. YouTube can’t filter everything out.

it is not even about the harmful images alone. The lack of concentration and the behaviour that follows from watching that sort of stuff is so obvious to see.

I’m surprised so many parents are pro social media.

It’s just posters saying there’s some good content on there. Primary age dc here are not allowed YouTube but teen age is scientific and musical and has found some great content.

GreenCaterpillarOnALeaf · 15/06/2026 11:06

There’s kids in my 6 year olds class with Snapchat… I’m in favour. Honestly I think giving a 6 year old SM is wild but Snapchat in particular??

The libertarian in me says we should all be free to parent as we see fit but the older I get the more I question it, because it’s the state and education system that have to deal with the consequences.

Somnambule · 15/06/2026 11:06

I fully support this - my tweens aren't allowed on social media anyway, but this will help me reinforce that against the constant moaning that all their friends are on it. I hope it'll make some of those other parents realise that their kids shouldn't be using SM. It signals that as a society this isn't something we seem acceptable - like we do with age restrictions on other activities. It still needs backing up with proper parenting, just like it isn't the government's job to make sure your 13 year old can't drive your car.

Fillies4DeclanRice · 15/06/2026 11:08

It's a good idea, but it's just like with the assisted dying bill, it's a total mess and will make everything worse

Redheadedstepchild · 15/06/2026 11:09

I'm against it. I suppose I'll have to be the one who rolls out the old chestnut of, "Look how well Prohibition worked."

When something is banned, it goes underground and more dangerous or morphs into something equally bad.

Yes, less people smoke these days but then somebody came up with the vape and people who had never smoked or had given up, turned to the new, more socially acceptable sucky pipe in droves and indeed, setting up or frequenting that novel and delightful high street institution, the Vape Shop.

Younger people drink less alcohol because it interferes with their weed and coke habits. Also with the increased treatment rates of mental health issues with prescription medication, they can be used or traded "Recreationally" as well.

Ban boring old Facebook, YouTube and X -wait for the explosion of platforms developed by dubious entities that will be the 21st century equivalent of bathtub gin and bootleg whisky.

When YouTube went through a stage of heavy censorship a few years ago - along came Odysee, Bitchute, Rumble and a few others. They were clunky to use but they were there and full of wild stuff.

Deprived of Reddit, they'll move to 4Chan and 8Chan.

Although I think the real uproar will come from gamers. Apparently Twitch and Kick are included in the ban but interestingly not Discord, for now. Of course, a lot of the gaming community (as it were) are rather good at tech. They'll get round it.

Digital ID by stealth too, as PPs have pointed out.

It just has an touch of 1984 about it with a heavy dose of, Aldous Huxley's, "Brave New World."