Banning social media for children

The UK Prime Minister’s proposal to ban social media for children under 16 is not just a “good idea” – it is an urgent intervention.  Our Parliament too,  must act immediately.

We are raising a generation whose childhood is being auctioned to algorithms. Every day, children (0-14 years) in Sri Lanka and across the world are exposed to content designed to be addictive: endless scrolling, dopamine-driven feeds, and material that damages mental health, body image, and attention spans. Studies from Oxford, Harvard and our own National Child Protection Authority show a direct link between early social media use and rising rates of anxiety, depression, and self-harm in teenagers.

Parents are fighting a losing battle. No individual family can stand against trillion-dollar platforms engineered by psychologists to keep children online longer. 

Saying “parents should monitor” is no longer enough when the product itself is built to bypass parental control.

 The UK PM is right: this is a collective responsibility, not a private one.

Parliament must act fast, not after another suicide, another case of online grooming, or another classroom of children who cannot focus for 10 minutes. Pass the ban, fund digital literacy in schools, and give children back their playgrounds, books, and real friendships.

Our children are not “users”. They are future citizens and lawmakers. Protect them now so that they grow up to become useful citizens.

Sumith de Silva