Full list of social media platforms that will be banned for under-16s

The UK will soon follow in Australia’s footsteps (Picture: Getty/Metro)

Those of us who grew up before the advent of technology might fondly remember playing outdoors as children – and lament how the youth of today spend their time staring at their phones.

Soon,however,youngsters will have no choice but to put down their screens once more.

Sir Keir Starmer announced today that children under 16 will be banned from using social media,following in Australia’s footsteps.

Here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming changes.

Stay up to date with the stories everybody’s talking about by signing up to Metro's News Updates newsletter.

Email

I agree to receive newsletters from Metro

I agree to receive newsletters from Metro

Sign UpSign Up

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

How will the social media ban for under-16s work?

We still don’t have the policy plan – that will come in July – but the government has given some idea of how the ban will look.

Starmer said that the ban won’t mean a child can never log onto Instagram ever again,but it will be a lot tougher to do so.

‘They get around other laws,’ Starmer said. ‘But we don’t say,“oh look,a teenager managed to get a drink somehow,so let’s not bother banning alcohol sales to children”.’

What worries Walker,of TechUK,is that politicians see a ban as an easy fix.

Fewer pupils attend after-school clubs,the high street is ‘dying’ and more than two-thirds of council-funded youth centres have closed over the past 14 years amid budget cuts.

‘Are we going to start investing in youth centres and sports fields?’ Walker asks.

‘There are lots of other things that inadvertently drive children indoors,and this raises questions about how we want to bring up young children.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at .

For more stories like this,check our news page.