𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Teachers have urged Andy Burnham to press ahead with strict new age limits on social media – and to go further by encouraging young people to get off their phones and go outside. The National Education Union urged the incoming prime minister to stick with plans announced by Sir Keir Starmer to ban under-16s from services such as TikTok and Instagram.

General secretary Daniel Kebede said this should be “only the start”. He said: “We cannot create a cliff edge where children move overnight from restriction to full exposure without the confidence to navigate online spaces safely.” Learning how to stay safe online and understand the dangers of social media must be part of the school curriculum, Mr Kebede said.

And he called for more investment in clubs, libraries, sports facilities and arts programmes, to give teenagers an alternative to scrolling social media feeds on their phones.

Writing for the Express, Mr Kebede said: “Teachers see the impact of social media every day. Its harms do not stay on screens.

“They spill into classrooms as harassment, misogyny, racism, body anxiety, and pupils too distressed and distracted to learn.”

He added: “Parents are exhausted too, often struggling to keep up with the emerging threats their children are exposed to.”

Sir Keir announced the age limit last month, in a speech seen as an attempt to define his legacy before he was forced from office. The ban is expected to be enforced using powers in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act, which came into force in April, meaning it will not require new legislation.

The age limit is not expected to come into effect until April 2027. Mr Burnham, along with a new cabinet, would be under no obligation to proceed with the plan, although the former Greater Manchester mayor has previously said he backs parents calling for age limits.

The National Education Union said technology bosses hope “political turmoil” will lead to the policy being forgotten or postponed.

Social media firms have already come out against the restrictions, claiming that a similar policy in Australia hasn’t worked.

Meta, the parent company of both Facebook and Instagram, said following Sir Keir’s announcement: “As we’ve seen in Australia, bans risk isolating teens from online communities and information, and driving them to unregulated alternatives that lack built-in protections and parental controls.”

YouTube also claimed that the ban could push children toward “less safe services”.

Other services set to be included in the age limit include Snapchat, TikTok and X. Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal will not be affected.

The UK will go further than Australia by also including blocks on live-streaming and communicating with strangers on gaming sites.

Sir Keir also announced plans to look at restrictions for people aged 16-18, including overnight curfews, although it is not clear if this will go ahead following his resignation announcement.