As the dust settles on the recent UK government consultation on teen social media age limits, it now seems inevitable that the minimum age for social media use will be raised from 13 to 16. 

What will come in the weeks or, according to some news sources, days ahead, will be a healthy dose of public debate on whether banning younger teens from platforms is practical or even possible.

Battenhall’s youth safety nonprofit, Raise

Over the last year, Raise, the youth social media safety nonprofit that I launched in 2023 has taken off. It is now run by a global team of volunteers, and we spent the last six months creating research that we submitted when we took part in the UK government social media consultation last month. 

Key learnings from taking part in the consultation 

What has become clear is that this is far more nuanced and potentially transformative than a simple ban.

The consultation revealed a major shift in how policymakers are thinking about social media risk. Increasingly, the focus is not just on the apps children use, but on the features within platforms that create harm, addiction, manipulation or unsafe behaviour.

This is illustrated by today's news that Britain will become the first country in the world to make it impossible for children to take, share or view naked pictures on their devices. 

Companies will have three months to comply, or legislation will be created to force them to activate blocking technology. Failure to do so could include large fines, and even criminal liability as a last resort.

Why banning features versus apps is important

Whether under-16s are banned from a set of apps versus a set of features matters enormously, because if regulators begin targeting harmful mechanics rather than entire platforms, we could be heading toward a future where safer social media design benefits everyone, not just teens.

One of the clearest themes that emerged from the consultation went beyond social media, too, by looking at the growing concern around AI-driven experiences. AI chatbots, recommendation systems, and emotionally responsive digital companions, are becoming a central focus for policymakers concerned about dependency, behavioural influence and blurred lines between entertainment, friendship and manipulation.

At the same time, the consultation exposed a deeper cultural question: what happens to social media itself if 13-, 14- and 15-year-olds disappear from the ecosystem?

What happens if under-16s leave the social ecosystem? 

Youth users don’t simply consume internet culture, they create it. Language, humour, editing styles, memes, trends, platform behaviours and even product innovation often originate with younger audiences before spreading outward to mainstream users and brands.

Just think about how Snapchat defined Stories that have become central to so many social experiences across platforms, or how Musical.ly fundamentally influenced the short-form video culture that later powered TikTok and transformed every major platform.

Remove younger teens from mainstream social media and the feel of many social platforms will shift rapidly. Where teenagers go next will shape the future internet for everyone else.

The consultation therefore raises broader questions – not just about age limits, but the next generation of digital spaces. If mainstream social platforms become harder for under-16s to access, entirely new ecosystems, apps and online behaviours will emerge fast.

The outcome is due very soon, and could mark one of the biggest structural changes to social media since the smartphone era began. 

Why safety through design feels like a positive step forward

The most encouraging insight from participating in the consultation is that policymakers appear increasingly interested in prevention through design, rather than punishment through restriction alone, and I'm here for that. 

The debate is no longer simply, “should teenagers be on social media?” It’s rapidly becoming, “What should safe social media look like for everyone?”

To find out more about Raise, visit www.raisegeneration.com or email hello@battenhall.com if you want to speak to one of our social media experts.

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