Social media ban is 'only first step' in protecting children, urges UUP's Miller

Mr Glen Miller, the East Londonderry Ulster Unionist Party Association’s Secretary, has said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s unveiling of a social media ban for under-16s is “long overdue” and “is only the first step in making social media a safer place for our young people”. 

    In a major policy statement from the UUP association, Mr Miller said the ban announced by the PM should signal the start of an intense UK-wide education campaign in schools, colleges and youth organisations aimed at giving the best protection for children and young people. 

   Speaking in behalf of the UUP association, Mr Miller said: “As a dad of an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old, I welcome the ban on social media for under-16s. Frankly, it is overdue. 

  “For years, parents have been expected to hold the line against some of the richest, smartest and most aggressive companies in the world - companies that have built platforms to be irresistible to children and then acted surprised when those children became hooked. 

   “This was never a fair fight. When an app is engineered to keep young people scrolling for hours, no amount of nagging about screen time was ever going to be enough. That is why this ban matters. 

   “It is a recognition that social media is not just a bit of harmless fun that occasionally goes wrong. In its current form, it can be toxic, addictive and relentless. 

   “It exposes children to bullying, exploitation, graphic material, warped body image, dangerous trends and the constant pressure to perform their lives for an audience. It steals time from sleep, play, family life and the ordinary, messy business of growing up. 

   “Children only get one childhood. They should not have to spend it trapped in algorithm-driven feeds designed to monetise their attention. So yes, this is the right call. 

   “It draws a line in the sand and says that children’s wellbeing comes before tech companies’ profits. That is a message many parents have been waiting a long time to hear. 

   “But if ministers think the job ends here, they are mistaken. A ban is a strong first step, not a complete solution. We also need much better education about staying safe online. 

   “Every child should be taught, in a serious and age-appropriate way, how to deal with peer pressure, how to spot manipulation, how to protect their privacy, how to respond to harmful content and how to understand the difference between real life and the distorted world presented on a screen. 

   “Parents need help, too. Many of us are trying to raise children in a digital environment that changes faster than schools, laws or families can keep up with. 

   “And above all, social media companies must be made to take real responsibility for what circulates on their platforms. For too long they have hidden behind the language of innovation while profiting from outrage, fear and addiction. 

   “If harmful content is pushed to children, if abuse spreads, if dangerous material is promoted by design, then these companies should be held accountable. Not politely asked. Forced. 

   “As a parent, I support this ban because doing nothing is no longer defensible. But I also want to see the next steps: proper enforcement, serious digital education and a willingness to take on the tech giants when they fail. 

   “If we are serious about protecting children, we cannot just keep telling parents to cope better. We have to build an online world that is safer to begin with, said Mr Miller on behalf of the UUP association.