Florida is Banning Social Media for Children, will the UK do the Same?
Florida has recently passed a law to ban children under 14 from using social media. Though it is unclear whether the ban will work as tech bosses seek to challenge the legislation in court. But what?is clear is that here in Britain, we ought to act on this wave to rescue our children from a phenomenon that is stripping them of their childhood.
This radical change offers no obvious benefits to children. Under any conceivable measure, adolescent wellbeing has plummeted over the last fifteen years since social media and smartphones became ubiquitous.
It is no doubt that students across the world suffer from anxiety and depression. It is said that 1 in 3 students suffers from either anxiety or depression, which can certainly be increased due to social media pressure. In the UK, teen suicides have doubled for boys and trebled for girls.
What can tech companies do to protect our children, should a law not be passed in the UK?
While a potential ban on all social media platforms for under-16s has been discussed, the government is also exploring other ways to empower parents and enhance online safety. This can be said to come more evident after the mother of Brianna Ghey, Esther Ghey, has been advocating for change to protect young people from the dangers of using social media.
The recently introduced Online Safety Act 2023 already requires social media platforms to shield children from harmful content or face fines of up to 10% of a company’s global revenue. However, a consultation is planned to delve into the risks children face while using social media.
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The Molly Rose Foundation, established by the family of Molly Russell, this comes as the foundation was set up in her memory as she tragically took her own life at the age of 14 after viewing harmful content on Instagram and Pinterest, emphasises the need to strengthen the regulator’s hand.
In summary, while a complete ban remains uncertain, the UK is actively exploring ways to strike a balance between protecting children and empowering parents in the digital realm.
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