Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to the Prime Minister’s announcement of a social media ban for under-16s.
“We are pleased that the government is taking action to ban social media for under-16s. The vast majority of social media use takes place outside school time, but schools routinely see the harm caused by these platforms. They have to deal with the distress and disputes caused by damaging and inappropriate content which has become normalised in children’s lives. Monday mornings, in particular, are often spent managing the aftermath of whatever has happened at the weekend. These platforms are a key reason why the mental health and wellbeing of young people has worsened over recent years.
“A ban is the right step and an important line in the sand. We now need to work together – the government, families, and schools – to ensure that it is effective and in the best interests of children and young people.
“It is vital that the government provides information and advice for families explaining the ban and how to support young people who in many cases are effectively addicted to these platforms. Withdrawing from this technology will not be easy and families will need help in guiding young people away from a dependence on social media. Guidance for families should also help support safer use of social media once young people reach the age of 16. Schools already teach about this issue, but they cannot fight this battle alone.”