Teacher explains why social media ban for kids under 16 is necessary
By Lauren Wilkin
A teacher who banned smartphones in his own home says the U.K.'s new social media ban for under-16s is a "brave and bold step."
The move, announced by the prime minister today, will stop under-16s from accessing platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat - a decision teacher Ben Pickles says reflects what he sees in classrooms every day.
The ban will be introduced in early 2027, says Keir Starmer, and social media users will have to prove their age. Those under 16 will not have access to the apps.
Ben, 31, who gave his own children Nokia 'brick' phones to protect them, says children in his classes today don't seem to understand the 'why' behind the policy.
But despite this, he said "most of the students seem on board" with the new policy and that conversation on the topic disrupted most of their lessons today.
"It's good to be interested in stuff like that," he says, adding that children need to be educated on why scrolling for hours can be harmful.
"It's pushing algorithmic content to certain demographics, and a lot of children don't understand that social media is harming people."
He cites issues caused by excessive screen use, like a lack of concentration and ever-declining literacy skills, but says "It's no fault of their own."
Ben, from Bingley in West Yorkshire, chose the basic Nokia handset for his children in place of smartphones - capable of calls, texts and the classic game Snake - after long discussions with his wife Georgie.
He said: "My wife wasn't sold at first. She thought it could cause social exclusion and was worried they'd miss out on events with friends.
"But I've taught in a secondary school for a decade and I see the difference social media makes to children.
"It almost takes their childhood away."
The decision came as kids Leo, 11, and Layla, 10, hit the ages when many parents finally give in and hand over smartphones.
Ben, who teaches English, citizenship and law, said: "They are right at that primary to secondary transition when families have to think about it.
"They've just started walking home from school together, which is why I wanted them to have a phone.
"But I didn't want it to be something addictive - it's simply for ringing me and texting friends."
Ben's children do have access to YouTube on the TV and says that he can see how it can quickly become out of control if it's not regulated.
"They become addicted to the content, it's short and snappy. If it's on their phones it can become a nightmare."
Ben, who has been a teacher for the last decade, says he has seen this firsthand in his pupils.
He said he's noticed the effects of children getting less sleep due to social media - and the "anxiety" they feel in missing out on online life.
He said: "Social media existed before, but it wasn't quite the beast it is now - screentime is rising exponentially.
"As a teacher, I see the effects every single day."
And it's not just children who are being impacted. "Adults have changed, too. They find concentration harder, sitting in silence more difficult, reading for long periods."
Pointing to violent content, he said: "I also believe that as soon as a young mind sees something harmful - they can't unsee it.
"You just can't unsee really traumatizing images."
"Almost all of the safeguarding instances in school have an online base," he says.
"Especially young girls and apps like Snapchat. Anything we can do to reduce the number of safeguarding instances is for the better."
"Some of the stuff we see is awful. It's horrible. It starts because people are in their bedroom and can send disappearing messages."
Talking on the new social media ban announced today, Ben said: "I think it's a very brave decision by the prime minister."
"When there is cross-party support for legislation, that law is stronger and it won't be changed at the next general election."
"It's our job to teach them about the modern world and how to get around it."
But tech companies don't welcome the change.
A spokesperson for Meta, the company behind social media apps like Instagram and Facebook, says: "As we've seen in Australia, bans risk isolating teens from online communities and information, and driving them to unregulated alternatives that lack built-in protections and parental controls."
Talking of the criticism that children will find a way around the new laws, Ben didn't seem to think it was a problem.
"We've seen from Australia that if people genuinely want to they can get around it. Kids are tech-savvy."
"But we also know some people break laws. It's not a strong enough reason to not implement laws in the first place."
"It reinforces the point that we need to explain the ‘why' behind the decision," he says.
Recently, Ben's school implemented phone pouches to stop students from accessing their smartphones during the school day.
He says this is now just "the new normal" and believes children will adapt quickly to the new social media regulations in a similar way.
"I've been teaching since 2016, and the secondary school pupils I teach are very different to the children nine years ago," he added.
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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 2:02 PM.