Why I’m Not Glad The UK Wants To Ban Social Media For Under 16s

Children using Mobile Phones

I understand why the UK wants to ban social media for under-16s. I really do.

I’ve seen the damage it can do because I lived through parts of it myself. As a child online, I saw violent videos, graphic images, sexual content, arguments between strangers, cruel comment sections, unrealistic beauty standards and conversations my brain simply wasn’t mature enough to process. I spent years endlessly scrolling, comparing my life to people online, and consuming content designed to keep me watching for as long as possible. There are things I saw too young that I still remember now. And honestly, I think a lot of children today are growing up far too fast because of the internet.

But despite all of that, I still can’t fully say I’m glad the UK wants to ban social media for under-16s. Because the internet didn’t just harm me. It also gave me people.

When I was younger, I wasn’t the loudest person in school. I know what it feels like to sit alone, to struggle finding “your people,” to feel different from everyone around you. And for so many kids, especially quieter kids, creative kids, neurodivergent kids, LGBTQ+ kids, isolated kids, or kids living in small towns, the internet becomes the first place they feel understood.

Social media can be toxic, yes. But it can also be a lifeline.

When I was younger, I had a pen pal in Texas. We’d talk constantly online about our lives, music, school, and the little things that mattered when you’re growing up. We eventually drifted apart, but she meant a lot to me at the time.

And then there’s my friend from New York State. We met on Instagram almost ten years ago. Last year, she was a bridesmaid at my wedding. Think about that for a second.

A friendship that started because two teenagers happened to exist on the same app became one of the most genuine, long-lasting friendships of my life. She is one of the kindest people I have ever known, and without social media, I never would have met her. And I know my story is not unique.

For some disabled children or chronically ill teenagers, social media is the only place they regularly connect with people who understand what they are going through. Some young people physically cannot leave the house as often as they’d like. Some spend huge amounts of time isolated in bedrooms, hospitals or at home while watching the rest of the world continue without them.

Online communities become their social life.

They become support groups, friendships, understanding and normality.

For trans children, the internet can also become one of the only safe places they can ask questions or talk honestly. Some children cannot safely speak to their families about who they are. Some are terrified of rejection, punishment or being misunderstood. Finding another young person online who simply says “I understand” can genuinely change, or even save, someone’s life.

And then there are children living in abusive homes. When people talk about banning social media, I sometimes wonder if they remember that not every child has a safe offline world to return to. For some children, talking to someone online is their version of reaching out for help. It is their escape, their support system, or the first place somebody notices something is wrong.

That doesn’t mean the internet is safe. It absolutely isn’t. Children are still being exposed to dangerous content, harmful ideologies, grooming, bullying, addictive algorithms and unrealistic standards every single day. There are corners of the internet children should never have easy access to.

But this is why the conversation feels so complicated to me. Because it isn’t black and white. There is good in banning it. And there is harm in banning it, too.

The internet has existed in children’s lives for so long now that removing it completely feels almost impossible. Kids will always find workarounds. Technology will always move faster than regulation. And honestly, I don’t think most people are asking the right question anymore.

Maybe the question isn’t: “Should children have social media?”

Maybe it’s: “How do we make social media safer for children who are already online?”

Could children have their own heavily regulated platforms? Could algorithms for under-16s be banned entirely? Could harmful content filters become stricter? Could there be actual moderation instead of platforms prioritising engagement above safety? Could there be proper online education in schools that teaches children how to recognise manipulation, grooming, misinformation and unhealthy online behaviour?

Because right now, children are being thrown into adult internet spaces and expected to navigate them alone. That is the real problem.

Children deserve protection online. But they also deserve connection, friendship, creativity, identity and community too. And I don’t think pretending social media is entirely evil. Or entirely harmless, it helps anybody.