Reaction to the announcement shortly after the passage of the Online Safety Act that the Prime Minister was considering banning social media for under-16s was something of a mixed bag.
I got a stream of WhatsApp messages with varying levels of exasperation and celebration – some pleased that No 10 had finally made a stand about how tech impacts children; others incredulous, asking: “Does Rishi know about the Online Safety Act?”
It does seem odd that, after so many years and hundreds of hours of parliamentary consideration working on legislation to make children in the United Kingdom safer online, the government thought it a good idea to contemplate an all-out social media ban before the King’s signature was dry.
I agree with the argument that social media as currently configured is not suitable for children. It is designed in a way that is addictive, polarising, and parades unrealistic lifestyles that are impossibly out of reach. What a lousy and depressing place to spend your teenage years.
