A schoolgirl has gone viral after her deadpan response to a BBC presenter's question regarding the proposed social media ban for under-16s. Sir Keir Starmer announced on Monday, June 15, that under-16s will be prohibited from using social media in a bid to safeguard their health and wellbeing. He stated the ban would grant children greater time, freedom and opportunities, adding: 'That is all any parent wants. They want to know that Britain will be better for their children, that they will get a fair chance.'
Should the legislation pass through parliament, the ban will take effect by spring 2027, the Prime Minister confirmed. Not everybody has welcomed the announcement with open arms, particularly a number of youngsters who face losing access to their social media accounts.
BBC Breakfast Segment Goes Viral
One teenager appeared on BBC Breakfast, delivering a reaction that left viewers 'howling'. While presenters Jon Kay and Sally Nugent remained in the studio, BBC journalist Fiona Lamdin broadcast live from a school in Tarleton, Lancashire. She began: 'I'm just outside Preston at Tarleton Academy, as I arrived this morning, I watched the pupils. These pupils are from year seven to year nine so aged 11-14.'
Fiona explained that the school uses a phone pouch system with magnetic locks, making it completely phone-free during the school day. With the headteacher's permission, pupils retrieved their phones to share their screen time data. One pupil estimated his usage would be between two and four hours, but it transpired he had clocked up ten hours of screen time in a single day, largely spent on TikTok, 'scrolling because I'm bored'.
'I'll just have to adapt, maybe go read a book or go outside,' he conceded, should the proposed changes come into effect. 'I'll feel quite disappointed, because I've got nothing else to do throughout the day, so I'll just have to do other things that will be fun.'
Isabella's Blunt Response
While he had suggested alternatives, another pupil was far less accepting of the idea. Just hours later, BBC Breakfast returned to Fiona in Lancashire after Sir Keir's announcement, as she caught up with the children. Most students revealed their disappointment, and schoolgirl Isabella shared: 'I didn't think it would actually happen, I kind of thought he would chicken out of it and give it more time or more consideration but he seems pretty sure of it and I'm not sure if I agree with him.'
She said she was most worried about not being able to contact her friends, adding that she mainly used social media to speak to her family. After revealing her screen time over the weekend was nine hours, Isabella was asked by Fiona what she would now do with her spare time. Her deadpan response followed: 'Stare at a wall.'
Viewers were left in hysterics, re-sharing the clip on social media as one person captioned it: 'This diva's got the best reaction to the social media ban x.' 'Icon,' one person replied, as another said: 'SCREAMING.' 'HOWLING,' another wrote, while one person added: 'Nahh she's jokes.'
BBC Breakfast airs daily from 6am on BBC One and iPlayer.
