what would a social media ban for under-16s in the uk look like?

The UK might soon follow in Australia’s footsteps (Picture: Getty/Metro)

We’ve all heard someone say that they spent their apparently blissful childhood playing outdoors,rather than staring at their mobile phones.

Soon,however,youngsters might have no choice but to get some fresh air.

The House of Lords passed an amendment last night calling for a social media ban for under-16s,which Australia enforced last month.

After all,almost four in 10 children aged 3-5 use social media in the UK.

But blocking TikTok is easier said than done,tech and parenting experts told Metro.

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How would a social media ban for youngsters look like?

Australia has employed age-check methods,such as checking browsing history or verifying if phone activity aligns with school times.

A platform disables an account if it identifies a user as underage. There is no penalty for a minor using social media,but firms face fines for failing to enforce the law.

What worries Walker is that politicians see a ban as an easy fix.

Fewer pupils attend after-school clubs,the high street is ‘dying’ and more than two-thirds of council-funded youth centres have closed over the past 14 years amid budget cuts.

‘Are we going to start investing in youth centres and sports fields?’ Walker asks.

‘There are lots of other things that inadvertently drive children indoors,and this raises questions about how we want to bring up young children.’