A major teaching union has called for the government to ban access to social media platforms for children and young people under 16, to ‘prevent further damage to mental health and improve concentration and learning in school’.
A meeting of the NASUWT’s national executive has called for primary legislation banning access and legally enforceable age verification and compliance mechanisms to ensure children are unable to access social media platforms. The union says that evidence from its members identifies that children’s sustained use of social media leads to reductions in attention spans, concentration and capacity for sustained learning – they argue this is due in part to over-exposure to highly stimulating and short-form digital content. In a recent survey with NASUWT members on behaviour, a majority of teachers (59 per cent) thought that social media was the driving factor behind deteriorating behaviour in schools. A poll of 300 union members found 88.7 per cent would support a social media ban.
NASUWT General Secretary Matt Wrack said: ‘Teachers are dealing every day with the fallout of a social media landscape not originally designed and not suitable for children. Social media companies have shown time and again that they will not act responsibly unless they are forced to do so. If we are serious about safeguarding children, protecting their mental health and combating the behaviour crisis in our schools, then a statutory ban for under‑16s must happen urgently. Our members tell us that social media is now one of the biggest drivers of poor behaviour, anxiety and disengagement in the classroom. Children deserve the chance to grow, learn and form healthy relationships without being pulled into an online world that profits from their vulnerability. We believe the Government should join other countries and help children and young people by moving to a ban which would have widespread support among parents and teachers.’
Some countries have already introduced greater restrictions on social media for young people. For example, Australia’s ban on social media for under-16s came into effect in December last year, although early indications were that some young people had found ways to get around age verification mechanisms. However Australia was notable for being the first jurisdiction to deny an exemption for parental approval in their policy, and figures from social media giant Meta indicated they had blocked 330,639 accounts on Instagram, 173,497 on Facebook, and 39,916 on Threads during their first week of compliance with the new law.
The question of social media has again been thrown into prominence recently due to controversy around the Grok AI tool, which is available both standalone and integrated within the X social media platform. It has been used to create non-consensual explicit images, for example removing the clothing from pictures of women and children. Within the UK government there is some interest in the idea of a social media ban. The health secretary Wes Streeting has recently invited the author Jonathan Haidt to address an event with charities, MPs and department staff. Haidt is the author of the book Anxious Generation, in which he argues that use of smartphones is harming young people’s mental health, and a prominent advocate of banning social media for under-16s. Meanwhile, earlier this week prime minister Keir Starmer told a meeting of MPs that he could be open to a ban of some kind, saying ‘We are looking at Australia, there are different ways you can enforce it’. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch had already announced that she would bring in a ban if elected. However there have been concerns raised by charities such as the NSPCC that an outright ban would prevent young people from learning how to use social media responsibly, and potentially push them to other, more dangerous parts of the internet.
A government spokesperson said: ‘We support headteachers to take the necessary steps to prevent disruption in our schools – backed by our guidance, the vast majority already restrict the use of phones in the school day, so they do not disrupt learning. Through the Online Safety Act, we have taken some of the boldest steps anywhere in the world to ensure children have age-appropriate experiences online, mandating that social media companies protect under-18s from harmful content. We are striking the right balance: protecting children from harm while ensuring they can benefit safely from the digital world.’