UK plans under-16 social media ban, with concerns about workarounds and LGBTQ+ impacts

The Hidden Danger Of A Social Media Ban For LGBTQ+ Teens

The UK is poised to introduce a social media ban for under-16s which could come into effect as soon as next spring. Earlier this year, MPs voted against a social media ban for under-16s in the UK. However, prime minister Keir Starmer said on 15 June that a ban – which will see young people unable to access popular platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, X and TikTok – is the right call, following a consultation where 85% of parents said they think the dangers of social media use among young people outweigh the benefits.Some experts suggest a ban alone doesn’t go far enough. George Bevis, the co-founder of the online child safety app Safetymode.com, said parents have been “given the impression that the problem has now been solved”.Writing for HuffPost UK, he suggested a social media ban is “a bit like putting a lock on the front door while leaving the back door wide open”.“Children are not only spending their time on Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. They are on WhatsApp. They are on gaming platforms. They are using AI tools,” he said. “They are communicating through dozens of apps and services that fall outside of the traditional definition of social media. Harmful content does not magically disappear because one category of app is restricted.”There are also fears a blanket ban may impact some children far more than others.LGBTQ+ children and young people may be further isolated by the moveExperts have expressed concern about how a social media ban could alienate young people who identify as LGBTQ+, especially as research has established that access to the internet and social media is “vital” for this group. Fiona Yassin, a family psychotherapist and the founder and clinical director of The Wave Clinic, which offers specialist mental health support to teens, told HuffPost UK: “For some vulnerable young people, particularly those who rely on online spaces for connection, identity and community, the mental health fallout from removing access could be profound.”While the therapist acknowledged the risks of social media for children and teenagers “have become increasingly clear”, she called the ban a “radical decision that largely places the burden of responsibility on children and teenagers, when many of the concerns that have led us here stem from the actions of social media companies, platform design, algorithms and advertising systems”.“Young people are being asked to pay the price for problems that the technology industry has had the power to address for years,” she added.Who’s asking teenagers what they want?Yassinsuggested when creating policies that “fundamentally reshape adolescence”, the voices of those most affected should be heard – “and it appears this may have been largely disregarded”.Youth-led non-profit FlippGen heard directly from young people aged nine to 21 years old, who suggested a ban will simply shift their behaviour elsewhere, make them less likely to report harm, and cut them off from the communities and information they rely on.A separate survey from The Mix found 71% of under-16s feel their voices are not being heard in this debate.“From a developmental perspective, adolescence is defined by a drive for validation, belonging, connection and independence,” said Yassin.“Social media didn’t create those needs, it simply became the place where many of them now play out. So legislation can restrict access to platforms, but it cannot remove the developmental needs that underpin young people’s behaviour.“This leaves us with some important questions: Will removing access to social media genuinely reduce harm, or simply push it underground and into less regulated spaces? Are there plans to equip parents with the skills and confidence to navigate an increasingly digital world? And crucially, what are we putting in its place?”The importance of online and physical spaces for LGBTQ+ teensFor LGBTQ+ teens, online spaces aren’t just for entertainment, they’re places to find community, explore identity, access information, and connect with people who understand their experiences.“For young people who may not feel safe, accepted or understood in their immediate offline environments, social media can be a lifeline,” said Yassin. “The danger is that a blanket ban may unintentionally increase feelings of isolation and loneliness among some of the young people who are already at greater risk of poor mental health.“Removing access to those communities without providing meaningful alternatives could leave vulnerable teenagers feeling more disconnected than ever.”Geoffrey Williams, co-founder of Rocking Ur Teens, a UK social enterprise supporting teens, is concerned because, for LGBTQ+ young people living outside major cities or those with unsupportive parents, “social media often serves as the primary gateway to discovering their community”.Williams suggested schools and wider society need to better understand “the complexities of growing up today” and added: “Young people require healthy, informed conversations about a range of topics, including the experience of being part of the LGBT+ community.”Like Yassin, he questioned what will be put in social media’s place once it’s taken away – because something needs to fill the gap. “Consequently, there is a clear role for human interaction and curated spaces tailored to this audience,” he claimed. For some time experts have warned of “social thinning” (the shrinking of social worlds) among young people – and have noticed that this trend has coincided with increasing poor mental health. Between 2010 and 2023, more than 1,200 council run youth centres closed across England and Wales, and local authority spending on youth services in England plummeted by just over 70%.There’s no denying a social media ban has its positivesOn the whole, this is an intervention the overwhelming majority of parents believe will help children – research from Opinium found seven in 10 (72% of) parents support such a ban. Laura Mackay, chief executive of Just Like Us, the LGBTQ+ young people’s charity, pointed out that while social media can be a useful tool to help young people find information and community, “it can also be a place where they frequently encounter hate, misinformation and cyberbullying”.LGBTQ+ young people are disproportionately affected by bullying. Research by the charity found a quarter of LGBTQ+ pupils have experienced cyberbullying, compared to 16% of non-LGBTQ+ pupils.While a ban might solve some issues, it’s clear more action is needed to protect future generations – especially as one survey found more than 60% of Australian children are still using social media despite a similar ban being in place.Yassin concluded there are “clear benefits” to strengthening protections for children online. “However, as with most issues affecting child and adolescent mental health, this [social media ban] is not a quick, one-policy fix,” she told us.“If we’re serious about safeguarding young people, what we need is legislation combined with education, parental support, digital literacy, stronger regulation of technology companies, and investment in community infrastructure.”To find LGBTQ-specific youth groups, check out The Proud Trust.Related...A False Sense Of Security: Why The Social Media Ban Fails To Protect Under-16sWhat You Need To Know About Keir Starmer's Under-16 Social Media BanStarmer 'Gambling With Young Lives' Over Social Media Ban, Says Dead Teenager's Dad

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A False Sense Of Security: Why The Social Media Ban Fails To Protect Under-16s

Children are not only spending their time on Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. They are on WhatsApp. They are on gaming platforms. They are using AI tools, writes the author. The UK government’s decision to ban under-16s from major social media platforms is a significant moment.It reflects what many parents already know: the online world is exposing children to content and experiences they simply are not equipped to deal with.But we should be careful not to mistake a step forward for a complete solution.A social media ban is a bit like putting a lock on the front door while leaving the back door wide open. It will help some children. It will certainly make access more difficult.But it does not address the wider reality of how young people use technology.Children are not only spending their time on Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. They are on WhatsApp. They are on gaming platforms. They are using AI tools. They are communicating through dozens of apps and services that fall outside of the traditional definition of social media.Harmful content does not magically disappear because one category of app is restricted.The other uncomfortable truth is that bans tend to work best on children who are already willing to follow the rules. The children most at risk are often the ones most likely to find workarounds, borrow devices, create alternative accounts or simply move to less regulated platforms.I am not making an argument against action. I am making an argument for the action to go further.For years, parents have been told that many of the protections they want are technically impossible. We have been told that harmful content cannot be identified. That explicit images cannot be blocked. That meaningful parental controls are unrealistic. The reality is very different.The technology already exists. At the startup I co-founded, we have built systems that can block explicit content, prevent the sharing of nude images, and give parents meaningful oversight of a child’s digital experience across their entire device, not just one or two apps.If a startup can build these protections, it is difficult to accept that some of the largest technology companies in the world cannot.The biggest risk today is not that the government has gone too far. It is that parents are given the impression that the problem has now been solved.It has not. Legislation will take time. Enforcement will take time. Legal challenges will take time. Meanwhile, millions of children will continue using smartphones every day. Parents need help now, not several years from now.A social media ban may be part of the answer. But the long-term solution is technology that is designed to protect children from harm wherever that harm appears, not just on a list of banned apps.The good news is that we do not need to invent that technology. We simply need to use it.George Bevis is the co-founder of online child safety app Safetymode.com and founder of Tide.Related...What You Need To Know About Keir Starmer's Under-16 Social Media BanWhat Teenagers Say Is Worrying Them The Most (And It's Not Social Media)Parents Urged To Speak To Schools About Getting Kids' Images Removed Online

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