Coram welcomes today’s government announcement of plans to restrict social media access for under 16s as an important step towards improving children’s safety and wellbeing online.
Coram SCARF is the UK’s leading charity for children’s health, wellbeing and drugs education working with 50,000 teachers in 3,000 schools nationwide every year delivering personal, health, social and economic (PSHE) education to 600,000 pupils.
The growing body of evidence linking social media use with poor mental health, exposure to harmful content, and online harms makes clear that stronger action is needed. This announcement signals a willingness to prioritise children’s safety and respond to widespread concerns from parents – voiced emphatically in response to the recent government consultation on this subject – and young people themselves, many of whom support a higher minimum age for access.
However, it is crucial that the detail behind the policy is carefully developed. Questions remain about how any ban would be effectively enforced, how children will be prevented from bypassing restrictions, and how platforms themselves will be held accountable for creating safer environments in the first place. All these concerns were at the centre of the Australian government’s implementation of similar restrictions introduced last December; the concerns shaped their approach – framed not as a ban, but rather a re-set and a delay – at the centre of which is a system-wide change, including public health campaigns, education and support for parents and carers, and enhancements to the parts of their curriculum relating to online safety and behaviours. Delaying access gives children 36 more months to develop, not fragment, their identities.
Donna Hill, Head of Coram SCARF, says: “This is a complex issue and one that has been long debated, with a range of views on how to tackle it. We recognise that social media can bring benefits for some young people, including connection, creativity and access to information. Any new restrictions must therefore form part of a broader, balanced approach that includes digital education, support for families, and stronger regulation of platform design and safety standards.
“Delivering meaningful change will depend on robust implementation, an increase in youth services that support children’s social development, effective, well-implemented education in schools, ongoing evaluation and continued collaboration between government, the tech industry, and parents and young people as we navigate our journey to make the online world the safe, positive space that children and young people deserve.”