How to talk to your children about the new social media ban for under 16’s.
The UK government is introducing a ban for under 16 year olds from Spring 2027.
They said this is about reducing harm, improving wellbeing and giving young people more time for a healthier childhood.
For children who will be under 16 when the ban comes in but are already on social media, we have put together a list of suggested strategies to support parents with this:
- Discuss this with your children and use your ‘Active Listening’ skills. “The government have introduced this to keep children happy and safe. What do you think about this?”
- Ask open questions to get their views and any concerns they may have. “What are the benefits to you about going on social media? How else could you get this elsewhere? What do you think are the negative things about social media? What can you do instead of going on social media?”
- Be a positive role model – try to limit your use of social media, especially in front of your children.
- Say out loud what you like and dislike about social media. “Sometimes I feel bad about my life when I see other people on holiday or having fun and I feel I am missing out”. “Let’s have a look at some of our old holiday photos or make a list of the things we are grateful for”.
- Remember Discipline means to teach – listen and be an assertive parents rather than aggressive.
- Use choice and consequence – “Would you rather close your account now or shall I do it next Spring?”
- Ask for a time out if the conversation is getting heated – “I feel like I am getting annoyed and I don’t want to say the wrong thing – let’s take a break and talk about this again tomorrow”.
- Encourage your children to give them courage. “I believe you can do this – let’s break it down into small steps and start to limit the amount of time of social media”.
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