Last week the UK Government announced a social media ban for under 16s that will come into effect next spring. I don’t think anyone would argue that things should carry on as they have been – social media is both a blessing and a curse for all who use it, and the impact it can have on under 16s is scary. This can range from online bullying, harassment, the introduction to all kinds of inappropriate messages (both actual messages, and the subliminal messages from adverts), misogyny, sexism, racism, grooming, and the feeling that they (& also us as adults) are not good enough. I completely agree that something has to change. However, I have several concerns about the ban, and I will discuss these here – but as in my lessons, this is an open discussion so if you feel differently, please comment on the post, email me or post on social media (oh, the irony), and we can have an honest and open conversation. These are just my opinions right now, and I am happy to listen to different opinions and points of view.

1. What happens when a young person becomes 16? Do they suddenly have access to all of this forbidden land of posts, algorithms and adverts? And why is someone who is 16 and a day suddenly able to manage all the cr4p that’s out there more than someone who is 15 and 360 days? Will there be sessions on how to deal with everything in PSHE and pastoral lessons, because if there aren’t, then I really don’t see how turning 16 suddenly makes someone social media ready.
2. As this is the Skware Peg blog, I am concerned about the impact that this may have on SEN young people – but there is a bit of a dichotomy here in that the group that is possibly most likely to be bullied online and on social media and who face more difficult challenges may also be the group that will miss out when the ban comes into effect. There is some evidence (& I will find the studies if needed) that young autistic people & those with other SEN are (possibly) more likely to be radicalised via social media, maybe because they have had less face to face interaction, maybe because they are more vulnerable, or maybe because they already feel marginalised. This is dangerous, and puts them, and potentially others, at risk. For the reasons already listed, they also may be more likely to be groomed, or be bullied or harassed online, and their mental health may be impacted by negative experiences. However, for many young people with diagnosed, or undiagnosed, SEN conditions, social media can give them a lifeline to other young people who face similar day to day challenges, or for whom face to face interactions are too much. They will miss out on teenage socialisation and conversations, and it’s not as simple as going out to meet people instead. The alternative may be loneliness. That doesn’t mean we should stop the ban, just be aware of the impact that it may have, and be aware that alternatives are needed.
3. Teens are tech savvy. According to a poll by the Molly Rose Foundation in April 2026, 61% of Australian teens aged 12-15 still have access to social media (link here), and they also suggested the UK shouldn’t rush to follow. Teens will find a way to access things that are banned, so although this new legislation will protect some young people, there may end up being less protection for the teens who find the loopholes and still access their existing or new accounts. Putting the onus on tech companies is ok, but they have the budget to pay fines, and while prosecutions are ongoing, young people will still find ways to access.
4. Discussions about this with my 21 year old highlighted that for many children & young adults, social media is a way of keeping up with what is going on in the world, both local, national and international. He has always been interested in politics, so he follows journalists, news organisations and politicians (both who he likes and dislikes) to try and get a balanced view of what’s going on, and to educate himself. He finds news outlets too boring and one sided, so uses social media to get all the sides of a story – and has been since before he was 16.
5. My eldest son used social media to stay in touch with people who had left his school and moved away. As someone who moved around a little as a child, I would have loved social media as a teen, and would have used it to keep in touch with friends whom I had left behind. As an adult, I found many of them again, but there are too many lost years in between.
6. Endless scrolling on social media is bad for adults too – we need to find a way to make it healthier for all of us. As a women in her 50s who has a strong interest in politics and education, my algorithms are very different to my husband, also a SEND parent, also with an interest in politics and education. Mine include lots of info about skincare, dieting, botox, weight loss jabs and more. His doesn’t have any of these. We need to fix the algorithms as much as we need to ban social media, and we also need to stop infinite scrolling and go back to the ‘next page’ as it used to be, so that then you’re aware of how much time has been spent stalking friends and watching pimple popper videos….

For me, the proposed social media ban is a sticking plaster on a rather large, ugly wound. It won’t stop tech savvy teens, and as soon as something is banned, it makes it even more attractive. There wasn’t social media when I was a teen, but there were fake IDs, getting people to buy you alcohol or cigarettes, and the fact that we were underage didn’t stop us going out, drinking and/or smoking.

I feel a better solution would be an overhaul of the social media accounts, and making them safer, less addictive and better for all of us, whatever our age. Most of us have an unhealthy relationship with Facebook et al, and banning it for our children doesn’t mean that we will stop posting when we are with them. Writing this short blog has made me reflect about my own social media use. I post pictures and updates to share with people I may not see every day, but I’ve realised that I also post for likes. I use it to follow people I admire, but also to see what people I don’t like quite as much are up to. I use the excuse that I can’t delete the app because I don’t know my password – but that’s just been a lazy excuse. In the evenings I check for updates every half hour or so, even when we’re watching TV. If I use the calculator on my phone, or if I get a message, once I’ve opened my phone, I then check my socials and emails while I’m there, just in case something important has been posted in the last 20 minutes.

Hmm….I am now going to update my passwords, and delete the apps from my phone, so I have to log on via the internet to access them. Maybe, on reflection, the ban isn’t such a bad thing, but maybe it shouldn’t just be for under 16s. I’ll blog again in a couple of weeks to let you know how it’s going (and yes, the irony that I will be sharing this on social media hasn’t escaped me!).