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The Conversation
The Conversation
Tony D Sampson, Reader in Digital Communication, University of Essex

Banning social media for under-16s won’t fix the real problem – the business model of these platforms is dangerous for all of us

DavideAngelini/Shutterstock

Against rising adult concern about child sexual abuse content and children’s mental health, recent calls to follow Australia and ban under-16s from accessing social media in the UK are understandable. It reflects genuine parental anxiety about online harms.

These harms are not abstract. Research shows that young people are exposed to violent misogynistic cultures and toxic manospheres online.

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