As the UK Government considers whether to follow Australia in banning social media for under-16s, a critical question needs to be asked:
Have we actually listened to young people?
At Starting Point we have brought together some of the best in our sector to explore the issues of online harms together with young people. This work is funded by GMCA through Tameside Council and sees us working with the amazing fellow social enterprises PIE and MIC media.
Together with Tameside Youth Council, we have been exploring how young people themselves understand phones, social media, and the idea of a ban.
Their responses are thoughtful, nuanced, and far removed from the stereotype of passive, endlessly scrolling teens. What they told us challenges the idea that a blanket ban is the best or fairest solution.
“It’s Not Just Scrolling”: How Young People Really Use Social Media
One of the strongest messages from the group was how misunderstood their online lives feel.
They repeatedly emphasised that social media and phones are tools for communication, not just entertainment:
Messaging friends
Staying socially connected
Maintaining friendships outside school
Accessing information and creative content
Comments like “I don’t talk to strangers”, “I don’t friend everyone”, and “My screen time isn’t accurate” show a level of self-awareness that often goes unrecognised by adults.
They also highlighted that not all platforms are equal. For example, Pinterest was described as lower-risk, despite being perceived by some adults as dangerous. This distinction matters: treating all social media as equally harmful oversimplifies a complex digital landscape.
Perhaps most striking was the observation:
“Adults as addicted as we are.”
Young people see adults struggling with the same boundaries, yet the consequences are framed very differently.
Acknowledging the Risks: Young People Aren’t Ignoring the Harms
Importantly, the group haven’t dismissed concerns about online safety.
They recognised real potential positives to tighter regulation, including:
Reduced exposure to inappropriate content
Protection from predators
Less pressure from unrealistic body standards
Reduced bullying and toxic behaviour
Greater privacy and safety
This is not a generation in denial. Young people understand the risks, often better than adults assume.
Where a Full Ban Falls Short
However, when discussing an outright under-16 ban, young people identified serious drawbacks:
Social connection
For many, social media is a primary way of staying in touch, especially for those who may be isolated, neurodivergent, or unable to socialise easily offline.
Wellbeing and leisure
Social media provides entertainment, creativity, and relaxation. Removing it entirely risks:
Increased boredom
Reduced access to shared culture, trends, and humour
Loss of safe escapism
Skills and opportunities
Young people were clear that:
Many jobs now involve social media
Digital skills are increasingly essential
Early exposure can support creativity, confidence, and career pathways
A ban could unintentionally widen inequality benefiting those with offline networks and disadvantaging those without.
What Young People Actually Want Instead
Rather than a simple “ban or no ban”, the group offered practical, thoughtful alternatives:
Staggered or age-phased restrictions, rather than removing access overnight
Viewing-only modes for younger users (e.g. ages 10–13)
Stronger limits on direct messaging
Better moderation and human-led safeguards, not just AI Improved reporting systems, that actually work
More child-appropriate versions of platforms – like You Tube Kids for all platforms
Clearer guidance and ongoing support
Crucially, they suggested that any new restrictions should not unfairly penalise young people who already have experience and digital skills, for example, applying stricter rules only to future teens rather than current teens.
“Education Is Better Than a Ban”
When asked how decisions about online safety should be made, young people were unequivocal:
Ask us directly
Talk honestly about both positives and negatives Involve young people in designing solutions
Recognise that being online is a central part of modern life
As Tameside Youth Council put it:
“We want you to listen to us.”
“Education is better than a ban.”
“We do think restrictions should be increased for younger kids.”
Their position is not anti-safety, it is pro-fairness, pro-education, and pro-partnership.
A Better Path Forward
If the goal is to protect young people, then policies must reflect their lived reality. A one-size-fits-all ban risks:
Pushing use underground
Removing opportunities for learning safe behaviours
Ignoring the voices of those most affected
A smarter approach would invest in:
Digital literacy education like this one funded by GMCA through Tameside Council
Age-appropriate platform design
Stronger accountability for tech companies
Ongoing dialogue with young people
Online safety is not achieved by exclusion, it is built through understanding, education, and shared responsibility.
Young people are ready to be part of that conversation.
The question is: are policymakers ready to listen?
