The U.K. finalized its social media ban for under-16-year-olds. Following similar bans in Australia, Malaysia, and plenty of pending bills elsewhere, the ban will go into effect in the spring of next year. It will include all the main social media platforms—yes, even YouTube—with some other restrictions on mobile gaming apps. British PM Keir Starmer, who was previously skeptical about the ban, said that social media is making children unhappy and leading to bullying and harassment. Major tech companies like Meta, YouTube, and Snapchat argue that stopping kids from using their platforms could have harmful effects, like isolating teens from online communities and information. Time will tell how the ban plays out: YPulse data shows that 52% of teen social media users say they would find ways to use social media if it were banned anyway. (The Guardian)
👀 Read more from YPulse: How European Teens Feel About the Social Media Bans
