I have never advocated hostility towards officers serving in His Majesty's Police Force, or any public servants for that matter. I do not want to be associated with any individuals or groups that promote or celebrate that. Not interested in flame wars over it, that's my position.

Geek fact: The ‘48 all-new Pokémon’ refers to the size of the set, excluding the holofoil variants. Some, such as Pikachu were variants of Pokémon already in the Base Set and one of the 48 is the Trainer card Pokéball. Hence the advert is technically wrong and should be 47.

Sad owl is sad. 👍🤘👌

The men on here hiding behind profile pics of cartoons and football stadiums, getting irate that minors won’t be online, are the ones who we need to be worrying about.

People don’t understand. It’s not just toxic content on social media. It’s BEING on social media. Kids getting addicted to it, being wired, unable to sleep. Reacting furiously when a parent tries to take away the device. Physically violent, angry. A blight on childhood.

For those sucking up and regurgitating all the misinformation because it suits the narratives that outrage you: 1) YouTube is not being banned. The under-16 friendly version remains available. Content design for adults does not. 2) BlueSky has not been exempted. No definitive list has been published yet. Social media was created for adults, not children. Over the years it has been used by more and more by children to access unsuitable, addictive and damaging content. Mental health issues in kids has accellerated sharply since they began regularly accessing this content, including a 50% rise in suicide rates over just 10 years. If you are outraged by legislation designed to provide significant protection for children, then you are the problem, not the legislation.

As an autistic person, I see this social media ban as a good thing. Ppl saying it’ll harm neurodivergent kids cos they prefer to communicate online… Allowing social media to become a crutch, which replaces in-person communication will only stunt social skills in the long-run.

I don't want to associate with anyone putting a 17-year old in jeopardy by encouraging reckless street activism, or disrespect towards His Majesty's Police Force in any form. That doesn't mean I hate anyone as people or feel a need to name them, but it's a matter of integrity.

Bring. It. On.

A child spends 9 hours online and can think of nothing else to do but stare at the wall & self professed “conservatives,” think it’s hilarious or cool or ironic. Once again I have no idea what “civilisation” the right thinks it’s protecting.

The monetisation of the attacks on Young Bob are another good reason to ban children from social media. (Yes he's over 18 now or soon but wasn't when it started).

Banning social media for kids is necessary to change the culture around it. Like how we banned smoking in restaurants. It changed our views and habits on smoking. Culture is everything. It is how we save our kids.

This is clearly an issue. 👇 But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ban social media for under 16s.

We campaigned and the government finally listened. So many parents have spoken to me about the dangers of social media and as a former Tech Minister I spoke to whistleblowers who told me the world of social media has got more dangerous not less. Parents and many teachers have raised concerns about the impact social media can have on young people's mental health, wellbeing and safety online. While technology brings many benefits, we must ensure children are protected from harmful content and addictive algorithms. As Shadow Education Minister, I welcome this decision and look forward to seeing strong measures put in place to make it work.

Including this one. 🙏 It’s insane that we have let this damaging experiment influencing kids brain development, mental health, and attention spans unfold in real time. The harms are plain to see to everyone.

Most parents would never intentionally expose their children to eating-disorder content or violence. We would never let a stranger show our children such material in real life, yet as a society we hand them smartphones and social media, allowing platforms to do it every day.

As like first generation to grow up with social media as a kid the evidence was clear over a decade ago this was something that needed to be done and should be global Crazy it's taken so long and even crazier that people think it's a bad idea

RT @PutneyFleur: I've long called for action to better protect children online and have worked with parents, campaigners and young people t…

I warmly welcome the Prime Minister’s decision to ban social media use for under-16s. This is a landmark step towards protecting children online, strengthening parental confidence, and putting young people’s wellbeing ahead of corporate interests. Parents in Ilford South and across the country have been clear: they want stronger safeguards for their children. The consultation demonstrated overwhelming public support, and I am pleased that the government has listened and acted. Now we must ensure this policy delivers real-world results. There is much we can learn from Australia’s experience, particularly when it comes to preventing loopholes and workarounds. A ban that can be easily bypassed is not enough; it must be robust, enforceable, and effective. But this should only be the beginning. We must challenge technology companies to reform the algorithms that fuel addiction, exploit attention, and too often amplify anxiety, fear, and division for profit. Holding these platforms to higher standards will not only protect young people, but also help tackle the growing social pressures that are driving polarisation across our communities. At the same time, we must give young people positive alternatives. If children spend less time online, we must invest more in youth services, sports, community facilities, and safe local spaces where they can build friendships, develop confidence, and thrive. For too long, social media giants have been allowed to profit while children pay the price. Today’s announcement sends a powerful message: the safety, wellbeing, and mental health of our children are not for sale. This is a significant step forward, and we must now build on it with the ambition and determination that our young people deserve.

Over the moon that the Gvt has finally listened & u-turned. This victory belongs to the brave bereaved parents fighting to protect other people's children, the health professionals who spoke out, & the parents who made their voices heard. Together, we did not give up. Today is a huge step forward for protecting childhood & backing parents, so they do not have to fight big tech & screens alone.