I’d feel more sympathetic to the social media ban if it was for under 10s/13s.
I started using the internet when I was around 13yo. I made friends, made *stuff* and learnt so much that I’ve carried forward into my career.
While not perfect, it was a really positive thing to have in my adolescence.
We’re also aging out of a dynamic where parents are completely clueless about what their kids can be exposed to online.
It’s conceivable that the majority of parents of teens *today* didn’t grow up with the internet. But 10-15 years time? The generations who grew up online will be the parents.
Of course, a lot of this isn’t really about the children. It’s about banning anonymity online. That in turn quells dissent, keeping the powerful in power.
I’m sure there are plenty of well meaning do-gooders in parliament pushing this ban. But it’s also naive to take it at face value.
Jun 17, 2026, 8:31 AM@rowan_johnson The internet was a very different place when we were 13. Just the fact of having to use a computer to access it versus having a phone on you at all time completely changes the dynamic.
That said, I'm not a fan of the ban. It's just throwing the baby out with the bathwater and giving parents a get out of jail card to not have to watch over what their children are doing.
Banning something like YouTube is insane. The educational value of it is through the roof.
@ravi @rowan_johnson Are they trying to ban YouTube?
Jun 17, 2026, 8:33 AM@andycarolan @rowan_johnson YouTube is included in the social media ban
@ravi @rowan_johnson Wow… ok. What’s next? Music? Some of it has rude words in 🙈
@andycarolan @ravi @rowan_johnson they’re leaving WhatsApp which has social media elements (you can post status updates) so it feels like they will refine this list a little before it’s put into law. At least I hope so! YouTube has far more educational uses than it does social media ones, at least it seems to me.
@andyn For all it's flaws, YouTube does have some great creators on there. @ravi @rowan_johnson
@andycarolan @ravi @rowan_johnson The Australian government hasn’t banned YouTube for under 16s.
They’ve just banned *accounts on YouTube* for under 16s.
You might think this is stupid. I’d agree. https://james.cridland.net/blog/2025/australia-social-media-ban/
Jun 17, 2026, 8:44 AM@james @andycarolan @rowan_johnson Thanks. I'm not really understanding the distinction in the UK.
> The government plans to use the same model for a social media ban as Australia. This would capture user-to-user platforms, whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material, alongside algorithms. The ban will therefore include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. We do not intend for messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal to be included in the social media ban.
@ravi I guess the only way they could ban access to youtube without an account, is to put it all under a log-in requirement. No account, no log-in. @james @rowan_johnson
@andycarolan @ravi @rowan_johnson "ban social media platforms from offering services to under-16s" appears to mean the same thing. No accounts for YouTube. Not a ban on YouTube.
@james Yes, I do think that's stupid. It basically removes all control that parents have on the platform. Clearly a complete lack of understanding on the part of the government. @ravi @rowan_johnson