Social media is great, it’s fun, but it can also be quite damaging to mental health. People start comparing their own lives to the curated lives we see. They then assume that everyone else is doing better than them. For some, they might take it as a challenge to do better. But for others, it could be downright demotivating. So it’s not surprising that TikTok is now being banned in the UK for anyone under 16.
TikTok banned in UK for under 16
In a post on X by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he announced that TikTok is banned in the UK for those under the age of 16. According to his post, “These days kids must find their feet in a world where technology intrudes into every area of their life. I just can’t let that go on anymore. So we’re giving children their childhoods back.”
He also makes an interesting point about how it was “easier” back in the day, and we agree. Back in the day before social media and the internet, the world moved a lot slower. What news you saw was from the radio, the TV, or newspapers. These days, the world moves a lot faster.
What happened 30 minutes ago in a country halfway across the world from you can be seen on social media almost instantly. Events that take place in a tiny village are suddenly broadcasted to the entire world. There’s no doubt that there are benefits to staying up to date with what’s going on, but we shouldn’t make it our entire lives.
Starmer also says that tech companies have failed to address the negative impact of social media on kids. This is why this ban doesn’t just apply to TikTok, but also to apps like Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, X, and more.
Following in the footsteps of others
That being said, the UK isn’t the first country to move to ban social media for young kids. Australia was the first country to ban social media for its youth. We’ve also seen moves by other countries like Canada and France.
Will this ban be effective? That remains to be seen. We’re sure that there are going to be ways to work around this, which is where age verification checks are going to come in handy. Only time will tell if banning youths from social media will lead to a society where kids can finally be kids again.
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