On Monday the prime minister announced a plan to prevent children under 16 from using social media. "A ban alone will have limited impact and could make things worse," said Rosie Parkyn; Laura Kuenssberg.
Rosie Parkyn on UK ban
Rosie Parkyn, a writer and parent, argued that the UK ban must be paired with stronger educational support and more money. Parkyn said young people get most of their news from social media feeds and that 73% of people in the UK would agree social media platforms are not the best place to get information, a point she used to press for education and investment rather than reliance on a standalone prohibition.
Foundation in schools
Foundation delivers media literacy programmes in primary and secondary schools in the UK, teaching children to assess the reliability of information, learn about algorithms and platform economics, and consider why filter bubbles develop. Parkyn said these are the kinds of school-based programmes and curricular content that need expansion and additional funding if the government intends to reduce young people’s exposure to harmful online content without cutting off their access to news and civic information.
Australia study from last December
Parkyn pointed to experience in Australia, where similar legislation enacted last December showed limited behavioral change: she said two-thirds of young people retained their accounts and that 51% of those most affected now see less news. Parkyn used the Australian figures to argue that a legal ban on under 16 use alone may be both porous in enforcement and counterproductive for news exposure.
To affect behaviour without shrinking news access, the proposal would need rules that combine three elements: platform-level age-verification requirements, device and account controls that parents or guardians can operate, and funded alternatives in schools and community settings that actively route reliable information to young people. Parkyn said this mix — regulation, parental tools and funded education — is the practical route to avoid leaving young people disconnected from news while reducing harms.
Parkyn also argued that with youth clubs, community organisations and extracurricular school provision having closed down in many areas, the UK must expand funded classroom and community provision to replace the informal news and social functions social media currently provides young people. That is the operational detail she presses: more curriculum hours, trained staff and resources to teach students how algorithms and platform economics shape the information they see.
How will the UK replace the news, information and social connection young people currently get from social media?
