As the Member of Parliament for Dover and Deal, I know many local families share the same concern: how do we keep our children safe in an increasingly online world? Recently I have met with local campaigners and that only strengthened my view that this is the right decision for the country and the future of our children.
Parents Have Been Left Fighting Alone
For years, parents have been asked to fight a battle they could never win alone. Social media companies have designed platforms that are addictive by nature, exposing young people to harmful content, unhealthy comparisons and contact from strangers, often with little regard for the consequences. Meanwhile, families have been left carrying the burden.
That is why I strongly support the Prime Minister's landmark decision to ban social media access for under-16s and introduce some of the toughest online protections for children anywhere in the world. This is about giving children their childhoods back.
Local Concerns About Mental Health
Across Dover and Deal, I’ve spoken regularly with parents, teachers, youth workers and the children who will be affected who tell me they are worried about the impact social media is having on young people's mental health, confidence and wellbeing. They see children spending hours scrolling through endless content instead of enjoying hobbies, spending time with friends or simply switching off from the pressures of modern life.
The Prime Minister is right to act. Nine in ten parents who responded to the Government's national consultation backed stronger action, and Labour is listening.
World-Leading Restrictions Planned
The measures being brought before Parliament later this year will place world-leading restrictions on harmful online features. They will include tighter controls on live streaming, stronger protections against strangers contacting children online, and further work on overnight curfews and limiting the addictive effects of infinite scrolling for under-18s.
These are common-sense steps that put children's safety first. I understand there may be differing opinions on this, but we have always recognised that children need special protections. We do not allow young people to drive, gamble or buy alcohol because we understand the risks involved. The online world should be no different.
Technology has brought enormous benefits, but it should serve our children, not exploit them.
Part of a Wider Mission for Young People
Importantly, this announcement is part of a much wider mission from Labour to improve opportunities and life chances for the next generation. From expanding free childcare, free school meals and breakfast clubs, to investing in school-based nurseries and family hubs, this Government is backing families at every stage of a child's development.
We are also recruiting thousands more mental health workers, investing in apprenticeships and technical education, and taking action to lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. These are not isolated policies; they are part of a plan to build a better future for young people.
A Choice for Society
At its heart, this debate is about what kind of society we want to be. Do we accept that childhood should increasingly be shaped by algorithms, commercial interests and online pressures? Or do we step in and set reasonable boundaries that allow children to grow up safely? I believe most people in Dover and Deal know the answer.
Giving children the freedom to be children again is not turning back the clock. It is recognising that progress should make life better, not harder, for the next generation. This Government is taking that responsibility seriously, and I am proud to support it.
