Social media is increasingly becoming the subject of legislative restrictions around the world, and the reason is not technological progress, but its impact on children. The UK is introducing a ban on people under 16 from creating and maintaining profiles on major social media networks. The measure was announced by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer as part of large-scale reforms to protect adolescents. The new rules are expected to come into effect in the spring of 2027. The goal is to protect the mental health of teenagers and limit harmful content. What does the UK's experience show, why attention is becoming the most valuable currency of the 21st century and can bans protect the mental health of young people... Stacey King, a learning expert and psychologist with two Masters.
- Ms King, how is the idea of a legal ban on social media for children under 16 received in the UK?
- There is now a growing consensus in the UK that social media has a strong impact on children's development. Of course, society is not unanimous on whether a ban is the best solution, but more and more parents, teachers and professionals are acknowledging that the current model is not working well for many children.
As a psychologist, I would say that the question is not whether technology is good or bad. The question is whether children's brains are developed enough to cope with platforms created by thousands of engineers whose main goal is to keep their attention for as long as possible.
For me, this goes beyond the debate "for" or "against" technology, but rather a conversation about protecting childhood.
- Facial recognition, ID card scanning, for to verify age – will that work?
- It will probably help, but it will not solve the problem completely. Children always find ways to get around restrictions. We have already seen it in Australia, where there has been such a ban since the beginning of the year, if I am not mistaken. Such a ban is not a magic solution. It is only one part of a broad public approach that should include parents, schools, technology companies and health institutions.
- What are the main arguments of the supporters of this measure and why do they think it is necessary?
- The main argument is that childhood is a period during which the brain builds its basic abilities – attention, self-control, emotional resilience, social skills and identity. Social networks are like fast food restaurants. Many people like them, our bodies, or in this case our minds, get used to such “food“ and we do not notice how we fall into the trap of “fatty“ and “salty“, which creates a desire for more and more of exactly that. Healthy food and its taste fades away against the background of laboratory-made flavors. Fast food restaurants are not necessarily evil in themselves. The problem begins when they replace real food or replace it entirely.
Similarly, the problem is not that children use social networks. The problem arises when they replace real friendships, free play, books, sports, sleep and family time.
Social networks do not simply add another activity to a child's day. They gradually displace the vivid, three-dimensional experiences through which the human brain has developed for millennia.
- What do parents think - do they support such a ban or perceive it as limiting the freedom of young people?
- Many parents today are trapped, some without even realizing it. Not all of them are irresponsible. But it is clear that they are alone in the face of enormous social pressure. I often hear: “I don't want my child to be the only one without a phone. He will become a recluse.“ So it becomes a social problem.
- As a teacher, do you observe negative consequences of excessive use of social networks among students?
- I no longer work as a teacher, although teaching experience is the basis of my professional path. Now my observations come mostly from my practice as a psychologist, from my work with parents, as well as from my participation in a team of counselors at an alternative school in the UK that supports children with anxiety, neuro-differences and other difficulties in adapting to the traditional classroom system. Of course, I also speak as a parent of two now grown daughters. From all these perspectives, I see a change in the way children concentrate, communicate and experience the world around them.
Not because they are less intelligent, but because school is competes with some of the most powerful attention-grabbing systems.
A good teacher strives to develop deep and innovative thinking in students, while the goal of the algorithm is to hold attention for a few more seconds, then a few more, and so on. This is truly an unequal competition. Just imagine what investments there are in large technology corporations that compete for our attention, as becomes very clear in the documentary The Social Dilemma, for example. And what budget investments state traditional education systems have.
We see that it is not only social networks here. The traditional, I would say, self-experiencing education system, such as exists in most developed countries, also has difficulty adapting to the different ways in which children learn and develop their potential.
- How do social networks affect the concentration, success and mental health of children and teenagers?
- I imagine attention as a river. In order for us to learn, this river must flow calmly and deep enough. Social networks are constantly digging new channels and diverting the flow - a new video, a new notification, a new stimulus. Stimuli, stimuli, stimuli. Children are people who are thirsty for information. But they don't get it like when a thirsty person drinks straight from the tap. When they open the most accessible "tap", a powerful stream floods them, but not with tap power. With the power of a fire hydrant. Thus, their brains (actually, OUR brains, all of us!) begin to adapt to the context of constant interruptions.
In terms of mental health, we see a clear and scientifically proven link with anxiety, sleep disorders, low self-esteem and constant social comparisons.
- How do British schools try to limit students' dependence on phones and social platforms?
- In almost all state schools, there are restrictions on the use of phones during the school day. For years. In the morning, when children cross the school threshold, the phones are collected by a teacher on duty, placed in special storage areas and given back at the end of the day. However, children find ways to hide their phones, to bring new ones.
But good schools do not just ban them - they offer an alternative: more sports, creativity, communication and time outside.
And above all, conversations about awareness of all these processes and the influence of social media on themselves. They are given the opportunity to understand and choose their own attitude towards their phones.
- Is it realistic to effectively control such a ban?
- It will not be easy. But just as seat belts do not prevent all accidents, but reduce the risk, such a measure can reduce the risk to children's mental health. The ban on smoking in public places in Europe was not very well received in different countries, but there is proven progress and fewer and fewer people are active smokers. At least that is the result for OK.
- Do you observe a connection between excessive use of social networks and cases of anxiety, depression, aggression or social isolation among students?
- As a psychologist, I would be careful to say that social networks themselves cause depression. But scientific studies are increasingly showing links between excessive use and anxiety, sleep disorders, social comparison, feelings of loneliness and low self-esteem.
- How do children and teenagers themselves react to the idea of being restricted?
- Most will probably perceive it as punishment. But the task of adults is sometimes to see the risks that children cannot yet fully appreciate. And above all to explain to them, clarify and, as I have already said - to create opportunities in which the child's brain will be protected and flourish.
- If the ban is passed, what do you think the real results will be in five years?
- I don't think a ban will solve all the problems on its own. But if it can bring back some of childhood to play, books, sports, sleep and three-dimensional friendships, it will make sense. The more important question is not what we will ban, but what we will restore. If attention is the currency of the 21st century, we need to ask ourselves who is nurturing our children's attention - family, school or algorithms. As a psychologist and as a parent, I am not afraid of technology. I am afraid of what it is gradually replacing. No algorithm can replace a real friend, a real conversation, a real book or a real childhood. It is precisely because of these concerns that in June 2026 the British government announced its intention to ban access to most social networks for those under the age of 16. The decision is presented as a precautionary measure to protect children, although the scientists themselves emphasize that the evidence on the effect of such a ban on mental health is still limited and that further research is needed to assess its effectiveness.