Will London succeed in implementing its decision to isolate young people from social media platforms? | Technology news

The British government announced an official direction prohibiting the complete use of social networking sites and applications for anyone under the age of 16.

This strict government measure aims to enhance the psychological and social safety of emerging generations, and protect them from the increasing risks caused by digital isolation and constant exposure to content not directed at young people, in a step described as the beginning of confronting the commercial system of major technology companies.

This British decision is not an isolated step; London joins a growing European and global trend that seeks to curb the spread of virtual space and protect childhood.

Several European countries, led by Spain and Greece, as well as France, preceded Britain in adopting strict measures and legislation that ban or restrict the use of smart phones and prevent access to social media platforms within schools and for emerging age groups, after successive warnings from doctors and experts about the danger of these platforms to the mental health of adolescents.

In a field report prepared by Al Jazeera’s correspondent in London, Mina Harblo, she observed the worsening phenomenon of attachment to smartphones. Children spend long hours glued to digital platforms, even during times of fun and play in public parks.

This step comes in response to warnings from experts who confirmed that these platforms were specifically designed to increase emotional and addictive interaction among the young age group.

In this context, Claire Fernyhough, founder of Generation Focus, a child protection organization, stressed the need to free children from the constraints of the profit models of technology companies.

She explained in a statement to Al Jazeera that the primary goal of these platforms is to achieve the maximum amount of interaction to keep children as long as possible, considering that the addictive design features are not in the interest of building the child’s personality and require immediate removal.

A decision not taken lightly

For his part, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the new trend, and said that the decision was not taken lightly and will not be without cost, given the benefits that young people may gain from communication, but he indicated that the government’s work is focused primarily on making difficult choices, stressing that a complete ban is the right choice to protect society.

Statistical data and official polls indicate that this government intervention enjoys overwhelming support from the families and guardians of children, as up to 90% of the parents included in the consultations expressed their full support for the prohibitive decision.

Parents have high hopes for this law to reduce the size of the generation gap and reduce the impact of smart devices on the daily behavior and academic achievement of their children.

Technical obstacles

On the other hand, technical obstacles and challenges appear that may prevent the actual implementation of this approach. The new digital generation believes that the decision to isolate themselves from virtual space is not consistent with the reality of their lives that are fully integrated into technology.

The British boy, Peter, raised questions to Al Jazeera about the effectiveness of legal censorship in the face of teenagers who possess advanced technical skills that enable them to surprise ruling regimes.

Peter warned that attempts to restrict access will push many of his generation to look for digital circumvention and tricks, such as using block-breaking tools and downloading unsafe programs and applications from third parties and suspicious sources, which may put their digital safety and personal backgrounds at greater risk.

The boy explained that these platforms are no longer just a way to have fun and play, but rather are an essential tool for learning news, following up on studies, and daily communication. He said: “We use these platforms for news and communication, and perhaps you will not believe the extent of their uses; they permeate everything we do.”

This means that the policy of absolute prohibition may lead to the emergence of alternative methods that increase the trust gap between governments and young people, and make the task of family control more difficult rather than facilitating it.