The UK government has begun consulting on a possible Australian-style ban on social media for under-16s, citing rising concerns about mental health, online abuse and harmful content. The Independent visited Flippgenn’s The Table, a youth-led discussion on online safety, to hear what young people think about it, with some branding the proposals as "attacking the symptoms rather than the root cause.” 16-year-old Jaan said, “I’ve had leukemia for three years. During the whole process, I felt incredibly isolated... connecting with friends through social media has helped me so much.” The Independent takes a closer look at an issue dividing the generations.

The UK government has begun consulting on a possible Australian-style ban on social media for under-16s, citing rising concerns about mental health, online abuse and harmful…

The UK government has begun consulting on a possible Australian-style ban on social media for under-16s, citing rising concerns about mental health, online abuse and harmful…

Long before proposed social media bans for under 16s were calling for help, our research shows they want an approach that works around them, Sara Davis and Camila Gil write