Ban social media for children under 16
Ban social media for children under 16
The Issue
I am the parent of a 12-year-old who has recently faced a severe mental health crisis, largely due to experiences on social media. This has been an incredibly challenging time for my family, and it is a struggle that many other families in our community are also facing. The influence of social media on young, impressionable minds is a growing concern, with studies indicating alarmingly high rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues among teenagers. **In fact, surveys show that the rate of depression in young adolescents has increased by 52% between 2005 and 2017, and the correlation with social media use cannot be ignored.**
Where I live, we've witnessed tragedies that resulted from online bullying, including children taking their own lives. This is a horrific reality that no parent should have to confront. Social media platforms are rife with cyberbullying, harmful content, and unrealistic comparisons—all of which can deeply affect children's self-esteem and mental health. **In the UK, a study found that 70% of suicide cases among youth had some element of social media involvement.**
We urgently need legislative action to protect our children from these dangers by implementing an age restriction on social media. Although age restrictions exist, they are not enforced adequately, allowing children to easily create accounts by providing false information. We need a more robust verification process, possibly involving parental consent or government ID verification, to ensure the platforms are used safely and responsibly.
Parents, educators, and mental health professionals advocate for reframing social media policies to protect the well-being of young people. By setting the minimum age for social media use at 16, we can provide children the time to mature emotionally before they face the pressures and vulnerabilities these platforms bring.
Join me in calling on policymakers to take immediate action. Our children's safety and well-being should be a top priority. Let us urge them to introduce and enforce laws that ban social media for children under 16.
Please sign this petition to demand meaningful change and protect our future generation from the dangers of uncontrolled social media access.
95
The Issue
I am the parent of a 12-year-old who has recently faced a severe mental health crisis, largely due to experiences on social media. This has been an incredibly challenging time for my family, and it is a struggle that many other families in our community are also facing. The influence of social media on young, impressionable minds is a growing concern, with studies indicating alarmingly high rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues among teenagers. **In fact, surveys show that the rate of depression in young adolescents has increased by 52% between 2005 and 2017, and the correlation with social media use cannot be ignored.**
Where I live, we've witnessed tragedies that resulted from online bullying, including children taking their own lives. This is a horrific reality that no parent should have to confront. Social media platforms are rife with cyberbullying, harmful content, and unrealistic comparisons—all of which can deeply affect children's self-esteem and mental health. **In the UK, a study found that 70% of suicide cases among youth had some element of social media involvement.**
We urgently need legislative action to protect our children from these dangers by implementing an age restriction on social media. Although age restrictions exist, they are not enforced adequately, allowing children to easily create accounts by providing false information. We need a more robust verification process, possibly involving parental consent or government ID verification, to ensure the platforms are used safely and responsibly.
Parents, educators, and mental health professionals advocate for reframing social media policies to protect the well-being of young people. By setting the minimum age for social media use at 16, we can provide children the time to mature emotionally before they face the pressures and vulnerabilities these platforms bring.
Join me in calling on policymakers to take immediate action. Our children's safety and well-being should be a top priority. Let us urge them to introduce and enforce laws that ban social media for children under 16.
Please sign this petition to demand meaningful change and protect our future generation from the dangers of uncontrolled social media access.
95
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Petition created on January 14, 2026