Tag Archives: under 16s on social media

Jack Meredith

Ofcom has failed; banning under-16s won’t fix it

By Jack Meredith | Tue 27th January 2026 - 3:12 pm

By 261 votes to 150, the House of Lords has backed a social media ban for under-16s.

Arguments for the ban

On the one hand, I understand the need for action. A study from the Child Mind Institute suggests that the use of social media from a young age impairs the ability of teenagers to understand nonverbal cues and body language, and feeds into teenage mental health issues, with growing cases of comparisons with perfect online images that lower self-esteem.

The United States Surgeon General’s study on social media use among young people found that children aged 12-15 who spent more than 3 hours a day on social media faced greater risks of developing depression and anxiety.

Brown University conducted its own study, finding that increased use of social media among young people has also led to an increase in cyberbullying, with nine out of ten LGBTQ young people online experiencing online abuse, and suicide rates among 10- to 14-year-olds increasing by more than 50% over the last three decades, with social media playing a role in modern times.

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Mathew Hulbert

Mathew on Monday: when Britain needed Love Actually, It Got Mr Bean

By Mathew Hulbert | Mon 19th January 2026 - 9:24 pm

There are moments in politics when symbolism matters as much as substance, when tone, posture and moral clarity speak louder than any communique or briefing note.

This morning should have been one of those moments. Following Donald Trump’s latest intervention over Greenland – part territorial fantasy, part geopolitical bullying – Britain was presented with a rare opportunity. A chance for a UK Prime Minister to look a reckless American President in the eye and say: no. Calmly. Firmly. Clearly. In defence of international law, allied sovereignty, and basic democratic norms.

What many of us hoped do was a Love Actually moment: Hugh Grant’s fictional Prime Minister, politely but unmistakably calling out American overreach and reminding the world that friendship does not require submission. What we got instead was Mr Bean.

Keir Starmer’s emergency press conference this morning was not incompetent. It was not chaotic. It was not aggressive. It was, in fact, something far worse: timid, earnest, managerial, lawyerly – and utterly devoid of the moral authority the moment demanded.

Yes, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of diplomacy. Yes, he reaffirmed that Greenland’s future lies with its people and Denmark. Yes, he warned that trade wars harm working people. All of that is true. All of it is safe. All of it could have been said in a written statement.

What was missing was leadership.

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Jack Lee-Brown

Should social media use be curbed for under-16s?

By Jack Lee-Brown | Tue 13th February 2024 - 2:15 pm

Since the murder of Brianna Ghey last year, her mother has been calling for a ban on social media use by children under the age of 16 and this, reportedly, is being considered by the government. Some have even called for those under 16 to be banned from phones. But are these proposals enforceable? Are they liberal in nature? What can actually be done if not?

Esther Ghey has, understandably, called for under 16’s in this country to be banned from social media platforms such as Instagram, X and TikTok. Any ban, I think, would be intended to protect children …

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged | 9 Comments
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