The social media ban for under 16s has caused a stir in the news and amongst teens across the country.
Many adults are applauding the rule change- 9 out of 10 parents who completed the government survey wanted the ban. For children and teens, however, the new rules mean big changes to their daily lives. This might leave them feeling upset or anxious.
Our tips for supporting your child with the social media ban:
Validate their emotions
While the loss of social media might seem trivial, for children who have grown up using it for several years it could be a big blow. For many young people it's where they communicate with their friends, a place where they go to express themselves, or feel understood.
Change of any kind can be difficult for kids and teens. Acknowledge how they feel and their concerns about how their lives will change.
Start with small steps
Over time until the full ban begins, you could start cutting back a little on your child's time on social media. For example, you could stop allowing phones in bedrooms at night, or saying no mobile phone use from 9:30pm. Steps like these are healthy boundaries for your child's wellbeing and online safety.
Reducing daily screen time can also be a good start, and many phones allow parents to set an allowance of screen time per day per app- e.g. 1 hour on Snapchat. This then provides them with less time to scroll and more time to get involved in healthier interests.
Encourage healthy activities away from screens
This might mean helping them try a new hobby, spending time with a friend, or just having relaxed time together at home. You could also look in to local sports clubs or new activities too.
Exercise and fresh air are important for teens' mental health and can be a good way to get them out of the house and away from their phones.
Some activities they could try instead of using social media might include:
- Playing football in the park with friends
- Baking
- Going to the golf range
- Swimming
- Arts and crafts
- Making their own movies using their phone camera
- Sewing
- Learning to play a musical instrument
- Cycling
- Learning a language.
Encourage other ways of communication
Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok have become the norm for constant interactions with their peers, but there are other ways to chat that can be fun. A WhatsApp FaceTime call between friends provides a no-cost, risk-free way to stay in touch while not together.
You could also allow your child's friends to visit more or stay for sleepovers, and suggest fun weekend activities that they can do in-person together.
Talk about why the ban is coming
It might help your young person to have a chat with you about why the ban is happening. You could have a discussion with them about how social media can affect kids and teens, and the risks. Ask their opinion on the ban and whether it's a good or bad thing, and listen to their thoughts on the subject.
Open, calm discussions show that you respect your teen's opinions and feelings, as well as setting lines of communication in place for further chats. You could ask what they enjoy about being online, as well as whether they ever see anything that makes them uncomfortable.
Your child might not be keen to talk about it, and that's ok. Sometimes having a casual talk while doing something else, like the washing up, or driving somewhere, can feel less confrontational and more relaxed.
When is the social media ban?
The government regulations will be put in place over the rest of 2026, with the changes in place by Spring 2027.
The ban will cover the same apps as the ban in Australia, and includes X, Snaphat, TikTok and Instagram. Livestreaming features will be inaccessible, as will the ability for strangers to contact under 16s.
There are likely to be age-verification checks in place before it is possible to get onto social media apps, to protect those underage from accessing them.
