16/06/2026
The proposed social media ban for under-16s has got me thinking.
Not just about children. About us.
Every day I see arguments, abuse, public shaming, conspiracy theories, rants and downright awful behaviour on local Facebook groups.
By adults.
Not children.
The people telling young people that social media is dangerous are often the same people demonstrating exactly why.
I include myself in this. I spend too much time on my phone some days. Most of us do.
The difference is that we grew up as the internet happened.
We had MSN Messenger. MySpace. Early Facebook. YouTube before it became what it is today. We were the generation experimenting with this new world in real time.
And perhaps that’s why I wonder whether we’re asking the wrong question.
Are we, the adults, the ones with the problem? The ones who built a digital world around our children and then seemed surprised when they walked into it?
It reminds me of a criticism often aimed at previous generations. The convenience generation. The rise of plastics. Disposable culture. Things that made life easier in the short term but created challenges nobody fully appreciated at the time.
Are we the “plastic parents” of the digital age?
Did we allow social media to become so embedded in everyday life because it was useful, entertaining and convenient?
Then there’s another side to this conversation.
Some of the closest friends I’ve had, who are sadly no longer with us, spent long periods in hospital. Isolated. Unable to get out and see people.
Forums, chat rooms and online communities weren’t harmful to them.
They were a lifeline.
A connection to the outside world.
Social media isn’t inherently good or bad. It’s a tool. Like most tools, its impact depends on how it’s designed, regulated and used.
And what about the children who have built careers, audiences and entire lives online?
My own children grew up watching Ninja Kidz. Millions of children have. Were those kids exploited?
I don’t know. It’s not fair of me to jump to conclusions. But look around you - it’s parents pushing their children to “social stardom”
Documentaries like Bad Influence certainly make you ask uncomfortable questions about where entertainment ends and exploitation begins.
Personally, I’m all for sensible regulation.
I’m all for helping children develop healthier relationships with technology. I’m all for getting them outside more. Maybe we could stem the obesity crisis by making it legal you have to go do a walk everyday…
But perhaps before we start with bans, we should start at home.
Because children don’t learn how to use social media from TikTok.
They learn from watching us.
