UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting has asked a US expert on social media regulation, Jonathan Haidt, to brief his officials on the proposed ban of social media for under-16s. The move comes as Prime Minister Keir Starmer appears open to stricter limits for young people.
Starmer acknowledged that Australia is "looking at different ways" to curb young people's access to social media, drawing parallels with their landmark ban introduced earlier this year. Fleur Anderson, a Labour MP, expressed her support for such measures, stating it is time for the UK to regulate and protect young people from potential harm.
Haidt, who has argued that widespread smartphone use led to a mental health crisis among young people, will address an event with officials, charities, and MPs. His attendance reflects a growing consensus in Westminster about regulating social media, sparked by recent controversies surrounding AI tools like X's image generator.
Other party leaders, including Ed Davey of the Liberal Democrats and Nigel Farage of Reform UK, have left open doors for such a move. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has announced her intention to enact a ban if elected prime minister, while Labour mayor Andy Burnham supports it as well.
However, not everyone is on board, with some government ministers expressing concerns over implementation and potential impact on teenagers. Government officials are worried about the possibility of Labour peers backing a Conservative-led attempt to amend the children's wellbeing and schools bill, which includes a proposed ban for under-16s.
The issue has garnered significant attention, with experts like Haidt weighing in on the benefits of regulating social media among young people. Streeting's push for stricter limits on social media reflects his desire to address concerns over mental health and online safety.
Starmer acknowledged that Australia is "looking at different ways" to curb young people's access to social media, drawing parallels with their landmark ban introduced earlier this year. Fleur Anderson, a Labour MP, expressed her support for such measures, stating it is time for the UK to regulate and protect young people from potential harm.
Haidt, who has argued that widespread smartphone use led to a mental health crisis among young people, will address an event with officials, charities, and MPs. His attendance reflects a growing consensus in Westminster about regulating social media, sparked by recent controversies surrounding AI tools like X's image generator.
Other party leaders, including Ed Davey of the Liberal Democrats and Nigel Farage of Reform UK, have left open doors for such a move. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has announced her intention to enact a ban if elected prime minister, while Labour mayor Andy Burnham supports it as well.
However, not everyone is on board, with some government ministers expressing concerns over implementation and potential impact on teenagers. Government officials are worried about the possibility of Labour peers backing a Conservative-led attempt to amend the children's wellbeing and schools bill, which includes a proposed ban for under-16s.
The issue has garnered significant attention, with experts like Haidt weighing in on the benefits of regulating social media among young people. Streeting's push for stricter limits on social media reflects his desire to address concerns over mental health and online safety.
. We've seen how much harm social media can do, especially for under-16s 
. Mental health issues are real and it's time we take action 
. I'm all for stricter limits on social media, as long as it's done in a way that doesn't stifle free speech or creativity 
. We need to protect our young people from the negative effects of social media, but also make sure they're not missing out on the benefits of being online 
. It's all about finding that balance 
.
. The fact that they're actually considering banning social media for under-16s is a big deal, especially with the rise of AI tools like X's image generator causing all sorts of problems 
. I'm not sure if I agree that we need to completely ban social media, but maybe setting some age limits would be a good starting point? 
It's also got me thinking about how we can regulate online safety and mental health without totally suffocating our young people's freedom 
. I'm not surprised that some experts are weighing in on this issue, but it's about time we take action 
. The fact that even Conservative leaders are open to a ban shows there's a growing consensus on this 
. We need to protect our kids from the harm of social media and make sure they're safe online 
. It's not about restricting their freedom, it's about giving them the tools and support they need to thrive in the digital age 
.
, got me thinkin' about how big a deal this would be... like what even is the point of having a phone if you cant even use it? 
on the other hand, dont get me wrong, mental health and online safety are def super important 
. anyone else think about how this could affect their own life if they were banned from using it? 
It's like, we can't just sit back and let our kids grow up with their faces buried in screens all day. I mean, think about it, all that constant comparison and FOMO can be super damaging to young minds 
. And have you seen those AI tools lately? They're like, totally out of control 
. We need to take a stand and protect our kids from all this negativity and distraction.
. And I have to give credit to Starmer for being open to changing the game 
. We need more leaders like him who are willing to take a stand and make some real changes.
. But I say, why not? It's worth a try! Let's give our kids the best chance at growing up healthy and happy, free from the toxic influences of social media 
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? Either way, I think it's awesome that politicians are finally listening to experts and having an open conversation about this 
. Fingers crossed we get some serious change soon 
, time for us to get serious about curbing their screen time! 
.
as a society. I mean, we all know that smartphones & the internet can be both a blessing & a curse, right? We gotta learn to use these tools wisely & not let them control us 
not to mention all the potential benefits of having a social media presence - like, how would they learn about the world without Instagram and TikTok? 