Social media is online platforms where people can share, create and interact with other people online. The question in the air is ‘’should social media be banned for children under 16?’’ Recently, our government passing a law that social media is banned for children under 16, set to take place in the spring of 2027. This means that platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, Youtube, Instagram and others of that sort are prohibited for children under 16, while platforms like WhatsApp will still be allowed. Was this the right idea? Social media can be a great place where people can discover new things and find amazing communities, yet it can also be a very isolating and lonely space. The media can be a place with bullying and lying which can leave drastic lifelong impacts on people. So, should social media be banned for children under 16?

Social media should be banned for children under 16 because it can lead to cyberbullying, shortened attention spans and a lack of literary understanding. The crime survey for England and Wales shows that 34.9% of children experience in-person bullying, yet almost a fifth of the age group, around 19.1%, has experienced online bullying. Bullying leaves detrimental effects on people, that follow them to adulthood. Children are spending around 4.5 hours consuming short-form content, which reduces the ability to focus on longer tasks. The National Literacy Trust’s 2025 annual literacy survey found that approximately 1 in 3 (32.7%) children aged 8-18 had a liking towards reading, the lowest level it has reached in 20 years. The Department for Education (DfE) gather results from Key Stage 2 pupils. Only 62% of children surveyed met expected standard for reading, writing and maths, yet this was a step up from 2024 (61%) however still below the 65% pre-academic level. The main trend in the data is that education is going down and bullying, and hate is on an increase. Banning social media should lead to an increase in educational strength and stop the increase of anonymous bullying. But on the contrary, is it social media's fault that it is not being used correctly? Should we have a more responsible media?

On the other hand, social media should not be banned for children under 16 because it provides educational tools for everyone, a way to express yourself and it can be accessed by anyone regardless of background or financial state. BBC Bitesize's 2025 survey found that 72% of students aged 11-16 use social media for revision and homework help. This shows social media can be used to gain a better understanding and advance children in their education. Adding to this, the DfE reported that around 54% of students in secondary school use social media to better their understanding of a subject. Not only can social media be used for educational purposes, it can provide global awareness and a variety of different opinions. A 2024 Ofcom report showed that 60% of UK teens said that social media allowed them to learn about different cultures and viewpoints. Studies from Internet Matters 2025 showed that 78% of UK teens stated that social media allowed them to express themselves freely without feeling judgment. As a whole, people can express and find communities to be a part of. This can increase empathy and understanding in younger generations, as studies from the Office for National Statistics found that social media is nearly universal across different incomes. This shows that social media is accessible for a lot of people, allowing them to find communities and people who shared hobbies and interests. However, we never really know who or what is behind the screen. Social media can also be a place where things are fabricated for consumption and money.

So, is it fair that we are allowing children to see things that are false and nothing but lies? The arguments on banning social media for children under 16 not only highlight how it can be dangerous, but also reveal it has so much great potential. It's not difficult to see that an excessive use of social media can damage confidence, attention spans and literacy rates, however social media also provides creative freedom, ways to learn and educate yourself, and an understanding of different views and ways of life. Instead of removing this vital tool entirely, we should try to promote and create stronger ways to be safe online. Perchance the real issue isn't social media, but ultimately how we choose to use it as a society.