Kemi Badenoch said that if the Conservative Party gets into power, it will ban social media for kids under 16.
She told the BBC that these platforms profit from kids’ anxiety and are made to be addictive. This comes after a teacher’s union urged the government to make tech companies block children from using their platforms. Australia started a similar ban in December.
Badenoch said they want to protect kids while giving adults freedom and understanding what parents are dealing with, hence the age limits. She thinks the internet is the wild west, and social media is not proper for children. She wants to work with the industry to find solutions.
Badenoch, a mom of three, knows age limits won’t stop everything, but it would get many kids off these platforms. She sees how social media is made to keep you hooked, and it’s linked to more depression and anxiety, leading to people going straight from university to benefits. This plan connects with banning phones in schools and getting people into work.
She denied playing Candy Crush, but admitted to wasting time on Instagram memes.
Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, agreed with Badenoch, saying parents would want bold action on this issue.
NASUWT general secretary Matt Wrack said teachers see the problems caused by social media, which wasn’t made for kids. He added that social media companies only act responsibly when forced to, so a ban for under-16s is needed to protect kids’ mental health and improve school behaviour.
Ofsted also thinks social media is hurting kids’ attention spans and respect.
A 2025 NASUWT survey showed that 81% of teachers saw more violent behaviour in pupils, and 59% thought social media was a major cause. Another poll revealed 89% of members would support a social media ban for those under 16.
A government person said they support schools stopping classroom disruption and have taken strong steps with the Online Safety Act to protect kids from harmful content, finding a balance between safety and letting them benefit from the digital world.
