UK parents back under-16 social media ban as teens split over crackdown

Nine in 10 UK parents now back a government plan to ban social media for under-16s, but the children who would be affected are sharply divided, according to interviews conducted this week in west London. A cohort of 10 preteens and teenagers aged 12 to 16 told the *Guardian* they recognised the dangers of addictive platforms yet split over whether a total crackdown was the answer. Their remarks come as Whitehall prepares to publish the outcome of a public consultation on children’s online safety next week, with officials expected to impose an under-16 age limit on high-risk services and restrict features such as livestreaming on others .

Among the teenagers, opinions ranged from mandatory time limits to tougher age verification and a full ban. One 14-year-old said she would welcome tighter controls but feared a blanket prohibition would push younger users toward unregulated apps. A 16-year-old argued that education, not prohibition, was the only sustainable route. The government’s consultation, launched earlier this year, received more than 120,000 responses and closes on Monday, with ministers set to announce the final package on 20 June .

The debate is unfolding against a backdrop of rising concern across Europe. In Ireland, parents in County Meath have endured 200 creche room closures since October, forcing one mother to change jobs after she could no longer secure childcare . In Spain, the advocacy group Fundación Hermes marked its tenth anniversary by warning that many families lack the tools to set technological boundaries, leaving children exposed to hours of unsupervised, potentially harmful content . Norway’s data, meanwhile, show that children there lead Europe in visits to dangerous websites, underscoring the scale of the challenge .

Political responses remain cautious. Irish TDs have rebuffed calls to shorten school holidays, insisting that longer breaks are essential for family life and learning recovery . In Westminster, ministers are expected to balance outright bans with stepped-up age verification and default screen-time limits, while leaving educational platforms largely untouched. The coming week will reveal whether the government’s proposals can reconcile parental anxiety with adolescent autonomy.