16/06/2026
Message from our Director:
It felt important to acknowledge the Prime Minister‘s announcement yesterday as we know it will affect many people and their children.
As both a parent and a psychologist, I found myself breathing a sigh of relief yesterday morning.
Am I justified in feeling relief? Or am I being naive?
A few years ago, if you’d asked me about children’s social media use, I’d probably have said it was mostly about parenting approach.
I was wrong.
Not because parenting isn’t influential. But because I completely underestimated the power of algorithms, reinforcement & social influence, and I overestimated the amount of time & energy parents (like me) have available to manage it.
I’ve watched this play out with my own children with a growing feeling of dread.
They’re great children . They aren’t rebellious or pushing of boundaries.
But when platforms are specifically designed to capture their attention and provide constant reinforcement, it becomes incredibly difficult for children and young people to understand and consistently make choices that prioritise their long-term wellbeing over short-term reward.
And if we’re honest, many adults struggle with exactly the same thing.
What I’ve come to understand is that this isn’t simply a parenting issue. It’s a systems issue. And it’s a regulatory issue.
For many families, all it takes is a busy period, a life event, parental stress, illness, work pressures or simply trying to juggle everything that modern life demands, and digital parenting can quickly become survival parenting.
That’s why I welcome the proposed ban for under-16s.
Not because I think it will solve everything. Or because I think implementation will be simple. But because it gives us something we’ve been missing: a clear societal boundary.
A bottom line that sits beyond individual family negotiations and the endless come back of “But everyone else has it.”
At the same time, I think we need to recognise that for some young people this transition will be really really difficult.
For many, social media isn’t just entertainment. It’s part of their social world, their identity, their routine and their primary way of connecting. For many children it’s also a huge part of connecting to their special interests.
I’m thinking (with some concern) about the impact on neurodivergent kids and families, whose capacity to communicate has been hugely boosted by digital platforms. But I still believe that this was the only option to prevent further harm to our kids and future society.
Meaningful change is often uncomfortable. And given the prime minister’s speech was relatively high-level, the implementation could be even more uncomfortable.
My hope is that a cross-party approach can enlist experts across digital, psychosocial, and cyber security specialisms to develop legislations and governance that works. AND ongoing psychosocial initiatives by investing in helping parents, schools and young people navigate the emotional, social & psychological impact of that change.
It will need us now to look at our own use of screens and social media in front of our children. We need to model this 😬 So I’ll put my phone down now 💪🏻
