By New York Post (World News) | Created at 2026-06-16 01:51:02 | Updated at 2026-06-16 04:37:47
2 hours ago
British teens aren’t so happy about their prime minister’s social media ban — and one let the world know during a hilarious television broadcast.
Asked what she would be forced to do on weekends under Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ban — set to go into effect in the spring of 2027 — the English schoolgirl bluntly told the BBC: “Stare at a wall.”
The strict measure, announced by Starmer Monday, will prevent everyone under 16 from accessing a swath of popular social apps, including TikTok, Instagram, SnapChat, Facebook, YouTube and X.
The English teen didn’t hold back when asked how she felt about the new United Kingdom ban on social media for teens. BBCSpeaking from a Tarleton classroom hours after the announcement, the teen offered thoughtful insight on why she didn’t agree with the new legislation.
“He seems pretty sure of it, and I’m not sure if I agree with him,” the girl said. “I use most of my social media to contact my parents and family.”
The girl admitted her weekend screen time was typically around 9 hours, but that she was worried about “not being able to contact my friends” under the upcoming ban.
And she wasn’t the only one.
When the BBC asked a show of hands from anybody in the class who supported the ban, not one raised an arm.
Instead, the kids sat stone faced with their arms crossed and hands folded.
“I think it’s pretty fair to say,” the BBC reporter said, “most are pretty disappointed.”
Even though the youngsters don’t agree, many parents are singing a different tune.
Starmer unveiled the measure after a poll of over 116,000 people came back with 90% approval for some kind of ban.
“Every parent can see it with their own eyes. Social media is making children unhappy,” Starmer — himself a father of two teens — said during a Monday press conference. “I’ve heard first hand from families crying out for change and we will do right by them.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the social media ban for people under 16 during a press conference Monday. via REUTERSThe ban’s full parameters won’t be announced until July.
But it is similar to one already already underway in Australia, which bans social media for kids under 16.
Canada, Brazil and Indonesia also have bans, while France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are working on their own.
Whether the United States will have something of the kind coming remains to be seen, but the US embassy in London voiced opposition to the ban.
“The United States believes effective child protection does not require sacrificing privacy or innovation,” the embassy said in a statement. “The best answer to challenges posed by technology is almost always better technology, not broad bans or blunt regulatory instruments.”
That position followed the same line several leading social media companies — including Facebook and Instagram owner Meta, and YouTube — took after the ban.
“We’ve invested in expert-led, age-appropriate experiences and default protections for teens for over a decade and will continue to do so,” a YouTube spokesperson previously told The Post.
“Blanket bans push kids out of … curated, supervised, beneficial experiences and towards anonymous, less safe services,” they added.
