The UK government has announced a ban on social media access for children under 16, citing concerns over addiction, mental health and online safety….reports Asian Lite News Desk
The United Kingdom has announced a nationwide ban on social media access for children under the age of 16, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer describing the move as a necessary step to protect young people from the harmful effects of excessive online engagement.
In a video message posted on social media platform X on Monday, Starmer said the decision followed consultations with thousands of parents who expressed concern over the impact of social media addiction on children’s wellbeing, development and mental health.
The Prime Minister said children were growing up in an increasingly digital world where technology had become deeply embedded in daily life, often at the expense of healthy activities and social interaction.
“These days, kids have to find their feet in a world that changes so quickly, where technology intrudes into every area of their lives. And we know that harms them,” Starmer said.
He noted that parents had delivered a clear message during the consultation process, with many reporting that their children had become addicted to social media platforms.
According to Starmer, excessive use of social media can leave children trapped in a cycle of endless scrolling, reducing time spent on play, sleep and family activities while negatively affecting mental health.
“The response from parents in the consultation has been absolutely clear. Thousands of parents say their children are addicted to social media. It can leave them trapped in a cycle of endless scrolling that displaces play, sleep and time with the family. It can harm their mental health,” he said.
“Parents need our support on this. That is why today the government has decided to ban social media access for children under 16.”
Describing the measure as a major step for the country, Starmer stressed that the government had carefully reviewed available evidence before reaching its decision and had examined policies being pursued by other nations facing similar concerns.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that the move would face opposition, particularly from major technology companies, but insisted that protecting children must take priority.
“This decision has been resisted and it will face resistance from some of the most powerful companies in the world. But we will take them on and we will win because the need for action could not be any clearer,” he said.
“Social media is making our children unhappy and unsafe.”
Starmer said the government had a responsibility to ensure that children were able to grow up in a safer environment.
“Our children deserve better. They deserve a happy, safe childhood in a stronger, fairer Britain,” he added.
The UK joins a growing number of countries seeking to tighten regulations around social media use by minors.
Earlier this month, a government panel in Japan proposed stricter responsibilities for social media companies, including stronger age verification requirements and restrictions on certain platform features aimed at protecting young users.
France is also seeking to accelerate legal measures to ban social media use for children under the age of 15, while Australia introduced a nationwide ban on social media access for under-16s last year. Similar proposals are currently under consideration in Spain and Denmark.
The UK government’s move marks one of the most significant interventions yet in the regulation of children’s access to social media and is expected to reignite debate over the role of technology companies in safeguarding young users.UK Bans Social Media for Under-16s
