Health Secretary Wes Streeting has issued a forceful call for decisive "action" in the escalating national debate over whether to ban children under the age of 16 from using social media platforms.
Mounting Concerns Over Young People's Wellbeing
In a significant intervention on Thursday 15 January 2026, the senior Labour minister expressed grave concerns about the detrimental impact of platforms like Instagram and TikTok on young people's health and future prospects. Streeting specifically highlighted a series of serious online harms, including the addictive practice of "doom-scrolling", pervasive cyberbullying, damaging body image issues, and the ever-present threat of grooming by predators.
His comments signal that the issue is gaining prominence at the highest levels of government, with Streeting noting that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is personally interested in the discussion. However, the Prime Minister has so far resisted endorsing an outright prohibition, preferring a watchful approach. A Labour spokesperson confirmed the party is closely monitoring the effects of a similar ban enacted in Australia just last month.
Political Divisions and Regulatory Context
The call for a ban places potential pressure on the government's current stance. While the UK's Online Safety Act has introduced mandatory age verification for accessing adult content, it stops short of a blanket social media prohibition for teenagers. The political divide on the issue was further illustrated by reference to former Conservative minister Kemi Badenoch, who had previously pledged to implement such restrictions if her party won the general election.
Streeting's sense of urgency is bolstered by alarming evidence from key institutions. The education watchdog, Ofsted, has reported that social media use is significantly "chipping away" at children's attention spans and capacity for deep learning in the classroom.
Teachers Report Rising Behavioural Issues
Compelling data from the teaching profession underscores the scale of the problem. A recent survey conducted by the NASUWT teachers' union revealed that nearly three in five educators directly link increased pupil misbehaviour and disruption to social media use. This tangible impact on the school environment adds substantial weight to the argument for stricter controls.
The debate now centres on whether the UK will follow a more cautious, evidence-based path or take swift legislative action to remove under-16s from social media environments entirely. With the Health Secretary demanding movement and significant backing from educational bodies, the government faces mounting calls to define its next steps in protecting young people online.
