The family of a 13-year-old girl from Kent believe she took her own life after being bombarded with disturbing content on social media, and are now campaigning for an under-16s ban.
Blake Gallier was found dead at her family home in Gravesham, Kent, weeks after her 13th birthday. Her mum, Gemma Best, said Blake did not appear to be in poor mental health. An inquest into her death has not yet been held.
Disturbing content found on her phone
Since the tragedy on October 30 last year, Gemma and Blake's sister Tayla Gallier have supported the Raise The Age campaign, which calls for a ban on social media for under-16s. They said social media algorithms had been feeding Blake content that normalised suicide.
Gemma said: "Blake was really happy. She was an extrovert; she was funny; she was hilarious; she was the life and soul of the party. Blake was a confident, happy extrovert who was just phenomenal."
Tayla, 19, added: "She was the youngest; I am the eldest sister, so if anyone knows that dynamic, they know it can be very challenging at times. She was annoying. She was always stealing my things. She was jarring, but she was amazing. She was very funny; she was the life of the party. You could hear her from a mile away. She was completely full of life."
Family's shock at what she saw online
Describing the content found on Blake's phone, Gemma said her daughter "reposted a lot of worrying stuff" that she was not aware of. Tayla said her sister had been viewing what she described as disturbing videos.
Gemma, 47, said: "Children that age are on their phones, and I think social media was a big issue for Blake. From what I have gathered, Blake reposted a lot of worrying stuff, and I was not aware of that. I never realised what the content was. All her friends had phones; the age for social media was 13, and I stupidly never researched it. After going through what we have gone through, I 100% support the social media ban. I was not a parent who was convinced until this happened. Now I think, 'why did she need that phone?'"
She added: "If Blake had gone out more and not been on her phone so much or in her bedroom, she might not have done what she did. Hindsight is a wonderful thing."
Tayla said: "When we got her phone back, we saw how many disturbing videos she was seeing. It only takes one bad night, and you like something you relate to, and then that is all the algorithm shows you. They are seeing videos normalising ending your life. I do not think young people can fully comprehend what ending their own life means at that age. We were completely unaware of the things that she was seeing online."
Charity launched in Blake's name
Gemma and Tayla, who work for Marks and Spencer in Stratford and Orpington, decided to start a charity in Blake's name at the end of last year. Blake's Pink Promise is in the process of being registered with the Charity Commission but has already funded counselling for 76 pupils across four Gravesend schools and two adults.
They have been working with Blake's secondary school and former primary school, Shears Green, to identify students aged seven to 13 who may need support and fundraise for them to have counselling. Gemma said it is important to target children as young as seven, as she believes Blake must have been struggling from a young age.
Gemma said: "It could happen to anyone. I would love to say it will never happen again, but I can't." Tayla, who also runs a baking company called Taysty Bakes, added: "When you are that young, you do not know what is happening to you and do not have the capacity to see that you need help. I think it became very apparent after Blake's passing that there is a lot more going on than what we realise, and a lot of young people do not have the support that they might need. Our whole lives were turned upside down, so even if we help one child not feel the way Blake must have, [that] makes doing this every day worth it. We want to prevent anyone else from going through the same thing that we have had to. We want to help people in the way we wish she was helped."
Government plans for under-16s ban
For her work with the charity, Gemma won Marks and Spencer's Remarkable Woman Award and met fellow bereaved parent and campaigner Ellen Roome. Ellen founded Jools' Law in memory of her son, Jools Sweeney, who died in 2022. The law requires relevant platforms to preserve a deceased child's digital data after being notified of their death, allowing coroners and investigators to examine it.
The principles were incorporated into the Crime and Policing Act this year, but Ellen was still left with questions about what happened to Jools and called for his inquest to be reopened. Last month, the High Court approved her application, meaning the 14-year-old's social media can now be examined. Gemma and Tayla supported Ellen at the High Court.
In June, the Government announced that children under 16 will be banned from social media. Apps including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram are among those included. It is hoped the measure will pass before Christmas, with the ban coming in by spring 2027. The measures aim to protect young people from harm online and address unhealthy late-night scrolling. New PM Andy Burnham is yet to comment on the policy.
The Samaritans is available 24/7 by calling 116 123, emailing jo@samaritans.org, or visiting their website to find the nearest branch.
