David Vance SubstackRead More
There is political momentum and unity in Parliament to ban social media for under-16s. I think that this a terrible idea and here is my argument against doing it!
In summary it merges bad practicality, flimsy evidence and cheap politics into one grand gesture. It’s about presenting politicians as being ‘caring” about our kids when in fact we all know all they do is chase headlines. It is also about giving them more control over children. In all cases I oppose it.
First, it won’t work. Children already lie about their age, run multiple accounts and hop on VPNs like it’s second nature. Another law at 16 just drives everything underground, onto even more dodgy platforms where parents, schools and police have even less visibility. Ministers drone on about “dangerous corners of the internet” while conveniently ignoring that bans are the fastest route straight into them!
Second, the evidence that bans fix mental health is embarrassingly thin. Of course heavy use correlates with anxiety and body-image problems, but proper studies on outright bans are weak, inconclusive and often show no clear benefit. One recent medical review put it more bluntly: rigid restrictions can breed isolation, rebellion and kids who can’t handle the digital world. You wouldn’t overhaul schools on evidence this shaky — yet here we are redesigning teenagers’ social lives on it.
Third, it airbrushes out all the upsides of social media. Ofcom’s own data shows most 12- to 17-year-olds and their parents actually value the good stuff: friendships, information, homework help, creativity, and sometimes a lifeline for kids who don’t fit in at school. A blanket ban treats all that as acceptable damage. I
Instead of teaching children how to use this stuff safely, these do-gooders want to wrap them in cotton wool until age 16 and then shove them in the deep end with zero practice.
The real problems — addictive scrolls, toxic algorithms, self-harm content, nasty DMs — impact us adults too. Targeting age instead of design lets the big social media platforms keep their engagement running while politicians pat themselves on the back for “protecting kids.” It’s hollow.
A UK under-16 ban would be completely porous, practically unenforceable, poorly evidenced and often counterproductive. The law of unintended consequences makes me think that this will make things WORSE for us all. I want to keep kids safe but this sort of ban won’t achieve that!
