How do young people feel about the under-16 social media ban?

Health & FitnessLifestyle
26 Jan 2026 • 9:32 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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The UK government has begun consulting on a possible Australian-style ban on social media for under-16s, citing rising concerns about mental health, online abuse and harmful content.

The Independent visited FlippGen and Beyond’s The Table, a youth-led discussion on online safety, to hear what young people think about it, with some branding the proposals as "attacking the symptoms rather than the root cause.”

16-year-old Jaan said, “I’ve had  leukemia for three years. During the whole process, I felt incredibly isolated...  connecting with friends through social media has helped me so much.”

The Independent takes a closer look at an issue dividing the generations.