Debate Night: Children and Social Media

In the early 2000s, social networking sites such as Friendster (2002), MySpace (2003) and Facebook (launched in February 2004) helped make the internet feel personal and social, promising connection, community and self-expression.

Since then, the centre of gravity has shifted from “keeping up with friends” to large-scale feeds powered by recommender systems. Much of what people see is selected to maximise attention and time spent. Research on impacts is still contested and causality is difficult to establish, but public health bodies are flagging clear warning signs. WHO Europe reports that “problematic social media use” among adolescents rose from 7% in 2018 to 11% in 2022, and that many young people report near-continuous online contact.

Regulation is now moving fast, and increasingly towards age-based restrictions. Australia began enforcing a rule from 10 December 2025 requiring platforms to prevent under-16s from holding accounts, with penalties aimed at companies. France is preparing an Australia-style ban for under-15s from September 2026. At EU level, the Digital Services Act is being operationalised through the Commission’s guidelines on protecting minors (published 14 July 2025), while the European Parliament has backed an EU-wide “digital minimum age” of 16, with parental consent between 13 and 16, in a non-binding resolution.

The hard question is what works best in practice. Age limits are difficult to enforce and raise privacy concerns around age checks, but they also send a strong signal about what society expects from platforms used by children. That is the choice we will test together: should we focus on bans and age thresholds, or on redesigning platforms so children can safely benefit from the online world they will grow up in.

This debate will follow a British Parliamentary format with eight debaters split into four teams of two.

Participants who wish to speak are highly encouraged to bring a paper and pen. You are welcome to participate even if you have no prior debating experience.

We aim for debates that are respectful, constructive, and welcoming:

• Respect ideas and people Listen actively, stay quiet while others speak, and debate arguments, not identities or beliefs.
• Be concise and civil Keep questions short and relevant; avoid hostility, hate speech, or discrimination.
• Respect boundaries and time No unwanted advances or suggestive behavior; arrive on time to avoid disrupting the debate.
• Follow moderators They guide the discussion and ensure fairness.