As Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveils sweeping plans to ban under-16s from social media, a growing contingent of parents and content creators is pushing back. While the government argues that technology is fuelling a youth mental health crisis, many families see social media as a space for creativity, connection and early entrepreneurship. Parents of young influencers say a blanket ban could instantly dismantle their own businesses, hobbies and future financial safety nets.
Two mothers have spoken to the Daily Mirror to share why they believe a total ban is the wrong move, arguing that digital safety should be managed in the home, not by the government.
Sophie Pugh, a social media manager, has no issues with her 13-year-old Darcey sharing content online. The teenager has grown up watching her own mum build a social media business, making her own transition to TikTok feel entirely natural. She regularly posts make-up tutorials, everyday vlogs, and dancing videos.
When introducing the ban, the PM stated that "social media is making children unhappy" and that "it is hard as a parent to know what to do." Sophie completely disagrees. "I think there are such perks to social media," Sophie said. "It gives children confidence and it can give them an alternative to learning other skills such as becoming an entrepreneur. Darcey has a real entrepreneurial head. She created a bracelet business with her friends last year, and launched an Instagram account while also promoting it on TikTok."
In the lucrative world of content creation, successful influencers can bring in anywhere from a few hundred to thousands per month through ad revenue, brand deals and affiliate marketing. "I think children posting online isn't a bad thing," Sophie told the Daily Mirror. "If anything, it makes them more creative and even entrepreneurial."
"Darcey loves posting online, it's also a way for her to keep in touch with her friends. She will post makeup videos, every day life and a lot of miming and dancing videos, I can't see the harm in that." She also highlights the economic impact that a ban could have, adding: "It can be a good way for them to earn some money to put aside for later in life. Some young content creators can earn thousands from it and it's a good way for them to start up. If they get the right endorsements, user generated content is massive, especially for brands who have customers of a younger age it's perfect and some content creators may lose their careers over it."
"But when this ban does come in, we will support it. We will deal with it, but it's hard because I can't sit there and tell her you can't do that, when I make a career from it." While Sophie acknowledges that the internet can be a "scary place," she thinks a total ban misses the mark, with issues arising when parents fail to monitor their children's activities. "I think more needs to be done," says Sophie. "But it has to be up to the parents to manage it. I am aware some parents don't, which is when problems arise."
Sophie believes restrictions should target children under 11, who are "probably a little bit too young to be on it" rather than tech-literate teenagers.
In Nottinghamshire, 35-year-old freelance graphic designer Kim Weddeburne runs a shared TikTok account with her daughters, Soraya, 12, and Cianna, 10. Together, they have amassed nearly 50,000 followers who tune in for a glimpse into their everyday lives. Their account exploded overnight after they posted a reaction video to the live-action The Little Mermaid film starring Halle Bailey, jumping from zero followers to 14,000 in less than a week.
"I think because their videos are so real, people feel relatable," Kim says. "We're just a normal family. We're not rich, we just live in Nottingham, the girls share bunk beds, we don't do extravagant things. People seem to like that." Beyond videos chronicling their days, the family uses their platform to discuss serious personal issues, including how they dealt with Cianna being bullied at school.
The page has opened doors the family never thought possible, securing them paid advertising campaigns, and gifted products, invites to film premieres and local restaurants, featuring in a BBC series, and collaborations with Minecraft and Harper Collins books. Aside from the material perks, Kim says Cianna has used tutorials on social media to teach herself complex make-up techniques. She said: "It's amazing she can explore that ability and find something she likes. She is trying and practicing. It gives her an avenue so that when she gets older and is starting to work, she can have more options available. Being online is what's helped her."
Both parents prioritise their children's safety. Soraya and Cianna have strict privacy settings and screen-time limits, and their mum says she firmly "stands within the boundaries of how these apps are meant to be used." If the ban becomes law, both families will reluctantly adapt, but critics and tech experts remain deeply sceptical about its execution.
The government has said it will deploy "highly effective age assurance" to enforce the law. But critics say this will not stop teenagers from using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to mask their locations and bypass age checks entirely. Tech giants including Meta, YouTube and Snapchat, have voiced identical concerns. While they say they support keeping children safe online, they warn a heavy-handed ban might lead tech-savvy children away from regulated, mainstream apps to dangerous, unregulated alternative platforms.
As Kim says, if the government intends to pull the plug on children's digital spaces, they need to offer a real-world alternative, such as youth clubs. She said: "If it does come into place, we will just have to get on with it. We're not really being given another choice. We will lose a portion of our followers but we will just keep posting as we do. I think it will be shocking for the kids at first, but it's just something they will have to adapt to."
