Stephanie Calman, author of Confessions of a Bad Mother, has expressed frustration that social media platforms are not held to the same regulatory standards as television in Britain. Writing in a letter to the Guardian, she criticises the idea of encouraging teenagers to follow a midnight social media curfew, calling it a 'laughable waste of time'.
Regulation Gap Between TV and Social Media
Calman points out that television in the UK is tightly regulated by Ofcom, with strict rules on sex, drugs, violence, impartiality, and accuracy. The public is also protected from unduly offensive material. She argues that this regulation has not stifled creativity but has helped Britain produce some of the world's best television.
'Why are social media providers not being held to the same standards?' she asks, noting that these are massively profitable services whose regulation is being left to the user.
Call for Stronger Protections for Teens
The letter comes in response to reports that UK 16- and 17-year-olds will be encouraged to follow a midnight social media curfew. Calman believes such measures are ineffective and that systemic regulation is needed instead.
She highlights the contrast between the rigorous oversight of television and the largely self-regulated nature of social media, which exposes young people to harmful content without adequate safeguards.
