Social media risks outweigh benefits in under-16s'

BBC

A childhood advocate from Jersey has said the risks of social media outweigh any benefits for people under 16 years old.

It follows the topic of a social media ban for people aged under 16, which the youth assembly will debate on Tuesday.

Childhood advocate and play champion Emily Jennings said it was important for people to consider what children are allowed to access carefully. "There are some benefits embedded within social media, but the risks are huge and far-reaching," she said.

In the UK, some experts and children's charities have warned against the idea of a complete social media ban.

The Jersey government has previously backed, in principle, a plan to ban social media for those under 16.

Jennings, who has spoken about the importance of play for children in a series of talks at TEDx in St Helier, said that people could get "stuck on the semantics" of a social media ban.

"I really try to advocate and promote and champion play," she said.

"My whole ethos is about what we can advocate for, what the positive things are that we're advocating for.

"So, taking a really intentional view of childhood, what are we choosing to put in the hands of our children?

"We're in an age where we've got everything. So it's impossible to have it all, so what are we choosing to give them?"

'Our most vulnerable'

She said people needed to consider what they encouraged their children to do.

"So, whether social media is beneficial for childhood, I would probably say on a kind of risk-benefit analysis, I'd say that the risks are higher than the benefits," she said.

"Our most vulnerable are most vulnerable on a social media platform."

Campaign groups, including the NSPCC, have said a full ban on social media for under-16s risks "unintended consequences" and have called instead for stronger enforcement of existing child safety rules.