00:00British teenagers have a conflicted relationship with social media.
00:04On one hand, many say it helps them make new connections and learn about the world.
00:08But on the other hand, some say it feeds them a diet of brain rot and eats up too much
00:14of
00:14their time.
00:15And many don't think it's the government's job to fix that.
00:19Reuters spoke to students at this South London school to hear their thoughts.
00:23They're not going outside, they're just sitting on their bed just watching TikTok.
00:27And I feel like it affects people's mental health as well.
00:30Because I feel like, especially for girls, when you see other girls on TikTok, you kind
00:35of want to look like them, and that's really crushing people's self-esteem.
00:41These students use platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok to socialize, switch
00:46off and stay in touch.
00:48But they understand the downsides too.
00:50My mum and dad just keep nagging me about my phone and my screen time especially, and my
00:55eyesight.
00:56But my eyesight has gone worse because of social media.
01:00But the other side is, normally I message my people, like my friends on social media,
01:05because none of them use WhatsApp.
01:07It's old school.
01:08The pressure on governments around the world to act is growing.
01:12And Australia went first, banning social media for under-sixteens in December.
01:16Considered the online safety amendment, social media.
01:19Here, the UK has launched a public consultation.
01:22But there is also widespread opposition to an outright ban, with some students warning it
01:28could backfire.
01:29There's VPNs you can use, there's lots of stuff you can use, age verification, you know, with
01:35the phone you can use, like a parent to do that.
01:38So it works in theory, but if the government were to enforce it, I feel like there's still
01:46a lot of kids that would be able to use social media without, like, any consequences.
01:51Some psychologists and researchers say there is no proof that a ban would work, and that
01:58there could be unintended consequences, like marginalized young people feeling more isolated.
02:04The students here are skeptical of a ban, too.
02:06I think banning mainstream platforms will only, like, force younger people to go towards,
02:13like, platforms where there's more, like, dangerous things, like the dark web and stuff.
02:19There's a lot of things that, like, they should not be seeing at their young age.
02:24And forcing a ban could also be difficult.
02:27And the students here disagree about who should be responsible for regulation.
02:32I feel like it should be the company's problem to sort out.
02:36But realistically, that's not going to happen because that's where they're making their money from.
02:41Parents should be, like, liable for how their children use social media,
02:45especially with, like, parental controls that they can add onto their phones, devices.
02:50But these parental controls only work if parents understand what they're controlling.
02:56Most of the time, I'm the one explaining to my mom how social media works.
03:01Even if I was to show her, she wouldn't really, like, get it or be able to monitor what I'm
03:07doing
03:07because she's not fully aware. Like, most adults aren't really.
03:12Age sounds like age.
03:14The students themselves told us these platforms are built to keep them hooked.
03:18While in the U.S., a landmark trial is looking at whether Meta and YouTube design apps to be addictive.
03:25Both companies have denied the allegations.
03:28TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat all have safety, privacy and security tools and features for teenage users.
03:35Doom scrolling is an issue on its own, but it's also, like, the content that you see sometimes.
03:40It really does have, like, such a bad effect on little kids.
03:44Like, the attention span and, like, everything is just so bad.
03:47I think platforms need to control, like, the content that's on it and regulate it more.
03:54I feel like it's getting more addictive because now my sister and her friends,
03:59they'll come in our house, but they won't talk to each other or play.
04:02They'll just sit together in a room scrolling on their phones and not talking to each other at all.
04:07And I didn't do that when I was younger.
04:09I went outside and played with my friends, and I'm getting a bit concerned.
04:13Experts say the evidence on whether bans actually help is inconclusive.
04:17UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's three-month consultation started in March
04:21and will look at things like a minimum age for social media,
04:25to overnight curfews and banning addictive designs.
04:28For governments under pressure to act, like here in the UK,
04:31the challenge may be managing the risks of social media,
04:34rather than trying to eliminate them altogether.
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