Social Media Ban for Under 16's: A Young Person's Blog

A social media ban for under-sixteens could actually end up working against the desired effect. It could push under-sixteens towards the dark web in their desire to remain connected. The dark web is a place filled with danger, where around every corner lies a danger greater than the last. You may wonder why it will push them towards the dark web? Well, the answer is quite simple actually, young people might just go in search of new ways to connect with friends, to find an app almost identical to one they were using before. You have to think about it like water in a stream, if you block the stream with stones, it will just find a new path to follow. The water, like teenagers, will always find a way. It is important that we are not forced to find a way riddled with greater danger and uncertainty.

In my opinion, it is better to have problems on well known platforms, rather than to have more problems on platforms people know nothing about. Knowledge is power and therefore offers protection. For example, if an issue occurred on a Meta site, they are better equipped to deal with the issue as they have more experience. They are also more likely to act as they would want to avoid a scandal. A scandal for a company like Meta could lead to less people using their products and ultimately to Meta losing money.

Times have changed. When our parents were teenagers telephone bills could get expensive, which meant it wasn’t as easy to stay in touch with friends. If a family didn’t have much money, their child may have to use a phone box for a limited amount of time. Social media makes it much easier for teenagers to stay in touch and the apps are free to use.

Our world has moved forwards for adults why should it move backwards for teenagers?

Written by Harry, 14 years old at Imberhorne School