Former England midfielder Jill Scott has thrown her support behind government plans to ban social media for under-16s, urging young people to swap screens for sport. The 39-year-old, who earned 161 caps for the Lionesses, said that sport helps children build friendships and avoid loneliness.
Government Action on Social Media
The UK government is set to introduce legislation before Christmas that would ban social media platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X from offering services to under-16s. The move, backed by 9 in 10 parents, is expected to come into force in Spring 2027. Scott said: "We need children to have friends and that human contact. We know iPhones, iPads, technology is a big part of the world today. But we need to keep those human connections up, because we don't want that next generation to feel alone."
Sport as a Healthy Alternative
Scott, who runs coffee shop Boxx2Boxx in Northenden, Manchester, with fiancée Shelly Unitt, emphasised balance. "There's a lot of good things from technology, but I think it should never come at the expense of sport. Get the kids outside, get them doing sport and keep them active and healthy," she said. Reflecting on her own childhood in Sunderland, she added: "When I was younger, I would spend time on the computer, but I always remember my mum saying, 'you've got an hour, and that's it.' Getting out in the fresh air, as long as you're in a safe environment, playing sport and exercising is so good for you."
Career and Advocacy
Scott began playing football at age five, joining Boldon Girls at nine. She played for Sunderland Women, Everton (winning the FA Women's Premier League Cup and FA Women's Cup), and Manchester City, retiring after England's historic UEFA Women's Euro 2022 victory. Now a pundit for ITV and Sky, she also hosts the podcast Long Story Short with Karen Carney. In 2022, she won ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, beating Owen Warner and Matt Hancock. She said: "The jungle was harder than playing for England. Three weeks of no phones, nothing, not much food. You just had to kind of rely on conversations."
Grassroots Funding Crisis
Scott has partnered with Starling Bank for the 'Kick On' campaign, which encourages local businesses to sponsor grassroots women's football teams. Research from Starling Bank found that 97% of grassroots teams feel underfunded and 76% of girls are considering giving up the sport. Scott warned: "We're in danger of losing a generation of Lionesses if we don't level up grassroots girls' football." She added: "If they drop out or their local team goes under, they won't have that opportunity. You're not just funding a football team, you're funding these girls' dreams."
Call to Action
Scott urged young people to make memories through sport rather than screen time. "I never want sport to be too serious. Even when I played at international level, I was quite serious when I stepped over that white line, but I had so much fun with the team. Now I've retired, I would say to anyone, 'just make sure you make the best memories. You'll remember the games you played, not your time spent scrolling.'"
