Is social media negatively affecting young children and teenagers? This is a conversation many experts and government officials have been having for years.
This has led to many countries now considering outright bans on social media platforms for young children. Australia was the first country to make this move after the government banned social media for children under 16 back in December.
Now, the next country to follow in Australia’s footsteps is the UK. This morning, the United Kingdom (UK) announced it’ll be banning social media for children under the age of 16. “It is clear to me a full ban is the right choice,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in his announcement. “It will make our children safer, it will make our children happier, it will give them more time, more security, more freedom to grow up,” he added.
Even though the UK will be following in Australia’s footsteps, it will be going much further, as the ban will target gaming and livestreaming services where children can talk to strangers. In other words, apps like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and many others will be banned for under-16s, and there will be additional restrictions on livestreaming and communicating with strangers online.
