United Kingdom

Britain Wants To Ban Teens From Social Media. The Evidence Suggests It Won't Work.

Britain is following Australia into a policy that has already struggled to keep children off social media, while forcing adults through intrusive age checks.

Reem Ibrahim | 6.15.2026 5:17 PM

Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google

Media Contact & Reprint Requests

(Galyna Tymonko/imageBROKER/Jochen Tack/Newscom/Adani Samat)

The United Kingdom announced on Monday that it will become the second country to ban social media for children 15 and younger. Speaking at a press conference, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, "Government is always about choices, and it's clear to me that a full ban is the right choice."

"Every parent can see it with their own eyes. Social media is making children unhappy. It's making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse them," Starmer added. "And it could even be harming their mental health, exposing them to content that is dangerous because that's what grabs their attention. It's designed to be addictive."

The ban, which is due to take effect next year, will cover a select number of "user-to-user" apps, including TikTok, X, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, and Snapchat. The full list of which platforms the ban will apply to has not yet been released.

The government is also considering overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for those under 19, with further details expected in July,........

© Reason.com