Girlguiding's response to proposed social media ban for under 16s

Felicity Oswald OBE, CEO at Girlguiding said: 

"At Girlguiding we welcome a national conversation about the use of social media but believe that removing young people’s access will not rectify the root of the problem. Issuing a blanket ban risks the suggestion that young people themselves are the issue, rather than the design of the platforms they use. 

"More than two fifths (42%) of young people think more needs to be done to ensure they are safe online and girls are disproportionately affected, with over a third (36%) of 11-21-year-old girls saying they often feel depressed after spending time on social media. 

"We believe that prevention needs to be the priority. There needs to be better online safety education, consultation with girls and a responsibility on tech companies to keep these platforms safe, regardless of age. 

"As the consultation gets underway we look forward to ensuring any government policies do not disproportionately impact girls or police their behaviours."