Recently, I’ve been contacted by a more than 500 parents, carers and constituents who are increasingly concerned about the impact social media on children and young people. Many people have told me they support the idea of stronger action, including restricting social media for under-16s.
This week the Government announced proposals to introduce a ban on social media accounts for children under 16. This is expected to cover platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube, although the exact list will be confirmed in legislation as it goes through Parliament.
Families are telling me they are seeing first-hand the pressures young people are under online, from harmful content and cyberbullying to the constant comparison culture and the pull of endless scrolling designed to keep users engaged for as long as possible. Many parents describe feeling as though they are trying to keep pace with a digital world that evolves faster than the safeguards meant to protect children.
Alongside the age limits on social media, the plans also look at tightening safety features across a wider range of online services, including gaming and live-streaming platforms. This would include stronger protections around livestreaming for under-16s and limits on contact from strangers. For older teenagers, some of these features would be switched off by default, to avoid a sudden shift when they turn 16.
There are also proposals around AI chatbots. Services that are designed to provide sexualised or inappropriate content would be restricted to adults, and other chatbot tools would have to block sexually explicit interactions for under-18s.
Of course, none of this will work properly without strong and reliable age checks, and the Government is clear that effective age verification will need to be part of how these changes are delivered, with privacy protected as well.
I also know from speaking to families that this isn’t just about restrictions, it’s also about what comes next for young people. Alongside these proposals, there’s investment going into youth services, including sport, arts, outdoor activities and local community programmes, giving children more opportunities to socialise and spend time away from screens. Schools are also being supported to help children build digital literacy skills so they can better understand and navigate the online world.
It’s an issue that clearly matters a great deal to many families locally. I’ll continue to listen closely as the proposals develop and are debated in Parliament.