Government to drive action to improve children’s relationship with mobile phones and social media
On Monday 19 January Government launched a consultation on children’s social media use and bans phones in schools to protect young people’s wellbeing and ensure safer online experiences.
”As the statutory body for youth work in England, we are unequivocal that young people deserve better online protection and that they are able to better understand the risk of harmful content. But the banning of social media for under 16s is not proven to protect young people. In fact, it could drive young people toward darker, less regulated corners of the internet where there is a greater risk of harm.
There is little evidential basis from countries attempting similar bans, of young people being safer, and indeed we know that young people already find routes around age restrictions.
Prohibition risks allowing major platforms and perpetrators of abuse to evade responsibility for harmful content on their platforms. The focus should instead be on safety‑by‑design, not the exclusion and penalisation of young people for the actions of others.
Rather than isolated measures, action must sit within a comprehensive, whole‑system package of support combining agile regulation, effective digital education, and an ecosystem of trusted adults, including youth workers, to help young people make informed, safe decisions. Through this, we can ensure that young people develop the vital skills we all need to navigate digital spaces increasingly steeped in mis‑ and disinformation.
As advocates and facilitators of youth voice and empowerment, we believe that restricting access to online media would limit young people’s ability to engage in civic discourse and hold institutions accountable, key ambitions of the National Youth Strategy. As the voting age moves to 16, a ban on social media would also hinder their readiness to participate meaningfully in democratic processes.
We strongly urge the Government to work with young people and all agencies supporting them, to respond to online harms in a more effective and appropriate way.
Leigh Middleton OBEChief Executive, National Youth Agency
”We recognise that the Government wants to do something radical to address the harm which can stem from online activity, but the digital world is evolving at such a pace a ban on social media for under 16s would soon become ineffective. Young people are moving far beyond traditional social media into AI companion applications and emerging digital spaces that evolve faster than policy ever can. A ban would simply leave a generation of young people unprepared for the technologies they’re already encountering.
From years of working directly with young people in digital environments, I have seen how curiosity drives them online and digital communities connect them. If young people are compelled by new laws to move to other spaces with even fewer safeguards and far more addictive design, we risk pushing the issue underground with no mechanism for support.
The whole-system, multi-agency approach we are proposing is essential, and youth work should be central to this. Youth workers provide safe spaces for young people to discuss their values and identity, helping to identify risks and challenging divisive rhetoric. For example, we’ve seen the growth of digital youth work as a major step forward in supporting young people to navigate online risks and develop confidence to use online platforms safely and confidently, enabling them to foster positive social connections and flourish in the real world. Rather than a ban, sustained investment in youth work and digital education that reaches every young person would create real, lasting protection and confidence.
Bex PinkNational Digital Innovation Lead, National Youth Agency
