Should social media be banned?

The last few weeks in parliament have been busy when it comes to phones in schools. Should phones be banned completely? Should social media be banned for under-16s like in Australia? Parents, politicians and celebrities have been eager to have their say. Smartphone-free childhood wrote to parliament not that long ago after thousands of signatures were reached and the government seems to be listening. Celebrities such as Hugh Grant and Sophie Winkleman are campaigning for phone-free schools. Starmer, as of a few days ago, says it is a matter of months until social media access for under 16s may change. Nevertheless, there are still people who are divided. The importance of technology is becoming clear, and with parents and children also concerned about AI and keeping up, it isn’t a surprise that there are conflicting opinions.

The current statistics have shown a huge rise in anxiety and depression for all teenagers and an increased number of young people in the workplace who are sick. In schools, the percentage of bullying that happens daily is predominantly online. Teachers and safeguarding officers are dealing daily with bullying that happens, often at night, not at the school gates. Others argue that it should be the parents’ responsibility and not the state to police what children use on their phones, that children who cannot access social media will find their way to even more unregulated sites or the dark web. Dr Rangan Chatterjee wrote in The Guardian recently that excessive smartphone use in children is now a critical health crisis. He has seen children who were coming to him for anti-depressant medication transformed by limiting screen use and social interactions.

One of our earliest shared visions was to create a space where children could be without technology and to play freely. As one of our founders, Jack first said, 'We want to find a space where it is possible to advocate and protect joy and expression within a child's development. Francesca describes the mission as wanting to use nature-based experiences to develop confident, grounded and authentic young people who are better equipped to manage academic pressures, social challenges and future career pathways. As three founders in our early thirties, who, by a stroke of luck, just missed the iPhone until we were well into our later teens, we want to spread the message to children and parents that there are other options, and we are excited about what is ahead.