By Efua Poku-Amanfo

Social media is far from a safe haven, and we have seen how it can be harmful beyond repair. Yet as the government begins it’s consultation on growing up in an online world the coalition have come together to explore what we think is the best approach in beginning to manage the challenges social media faces to children and young people today. We welcome the recent news that there will be some restrictions for under-16s which brings some comfort, but the government has yet to rule out a blanket ban for under 16s. We think it’s important that policy changes in this area can bring about real tangible benefits for children and young people, rather than appealing headlines and ‘quick fixes’. 

We recognise that the online space, and social media in particular can be a breeding ground for a whole host of risks that can cause harm. We see these as interconnected into the epidemic of dwindling mental health and wellbeing among children and young people up to the age of 25. 

What is clear is that urgent action is needed; we are interested in finding the most effective interventions that allow for better choices, broadening capacity, agency and autonomy. There are three key challenges that of our concern to us if a ban were implemented:  

A ban is not like other public health interventions 

Public health interventions such as smoking bans, gambling, and alcohol taxes have been proven effective on changing behaviour and reducing the harm they pose. However, there is no real benefit to children and young people engaging in recreational use of alcohol or nicotine or gambling. There are clearly risks, but there are also benefits to social media use, including digital literacy, educational tools, mental health support, connection and a platform for marginalised and underrepresented voices.   

A ban won’t remove the reality that online harms exist in a wider eco-system of inequality and long-term health difficulties.  

Harms are not experienced equally – what makes a difference is the nature of the content, who is being exposed and how often and for how long? For example, young people with mental health difficulties such as anxiety and depression, use social media differently. They are more likely to experience changes in their mood and more likely to compare themselves to others as a result of social media usage. Children in poverty, in care, care leavers, young carers and/or those with additional needs have been linked to increased use of screens. As a result, these young people are more at risk of being exposed to problematic and harmful content and thus we fear these young people may end up in less regulated parts of the internet and potentially have more adverse responses as their underlying needs persist.   

 This ban could give a false sense of safety to families and carers.  

Legislation does not move anywhere near as quickly as markets and technological changes do. A legislative ban is far more static than regulation that evolves over time and a ban wouldn’t necessarily cover all potential harms that the online world poses to children and young people. Passing an Act would solve the problem of yesterday, not tomorrow. 

Instead of banning social media for under 16s, we should: 

Utilise and expand our legal and regulatory levers across: 

  • Age verification – we know that the existing rules are not being applied properly, and tens of thousands of under 13s are on social media which goes against the UK’s GDPR law of the minimum age of 13. We want the law as it stands to be properly regulated to ensure that all accounts owned by under 13s are swiftly removed.  
  • Apply a general duty of care on platform operators to prevent them from overriding the OSA safe harbour which ensures that platforms are adhering to Ofcom’s code of practice, app store and device-level protections for children.  
  • Identify the features and characteristics of online platforms that can encourage addictive and validation seeking behaviours, and assess the harm these features can pose to children, We want to see improved regulation on these featuresthat in some cases may potentially remove them from accounts owned by under 16s. 
  • Ensure age verification is secure when people attempt to access VPN services to ensure no child can bypass restrictions and new regulation 
  • Regulate AI chatbots as they are well-evidenced in causing harm and in some cases death among young people.  

 Develop digital literacy for everyone. 

A ban would face a cliff edge – people wouldn’t develop any social media skills before 16. Instead, we need a greater understanding of algorithms and the structural forces that shape digital consumption. We can do by this incorporating young people’s voices in any changes in digital literacy guidance, so we know what features they find the most attractive and that guidance reflects the experiences they have online. 

Build social and offline infrastructure  

We must build spaces in the offline world – such as youth clubs, parks and playgrounds that is accessible, safe and affordable in the places it is needed the most. This will take time. We must become more curious as to what the online world has replaced and how it has filled in the gaps in an increasingly lonely society that children and young people are forced to grow up in. Enriching childhood and quality of life will enable connection to take place in every corner of young people’s lives. 

Efua Poku-Amanfo is Head of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition – if you’d like to read our full statement on growing up in an online world and changes to regulation, please get in touch at info@cypmhc.org.uk