Ban Social Media for Under-16s in the UK to Protect Children’s Mental Health

Social media and short-form video platforms are designed to maximise engagement, not protect developing minds. The UK must introduce a legal age limit of 16 to protect children’s mental health and development.

Before our children were born, my wife and I made the decision to limit screen exposure in our home after researching the growing evidence around the impact of screens, social media and short-form video on developing brains. What we discovered concerned us deeply. Many of these platforms are deliberately designed to capture attention and keep users scrolling for as long as possible — something that can have serious consequences for children whose brains are still developing.

Children today face increasing pressure to join social media and engage with highly addictive short-form content at younger and younger ages. Research has linked excessive screen use to disrupted sleep, increased anxiety and depression, reduced attention span, and difficulties developing real-world social skills.

While the UK Government has begun looking into the impact of social media on young people, progress appears slow and often met with pushback and delay. The longer meaningful action is postponed, the greater the risk that another generation of children grows up immersed in platforms designed to maximise engagement rather than protect their wellbeing.

Parents across the UK should not have to face this challenge alone. A clear national age limit of 16 for social media would reduce the pressure children feel to join these platforms and would support families in creating healthier environments for their children.

If we act now, we can protect a generation of children before the damage becomes irreversible.