A half baked idea, a vague script in my head and ten minutes of convincing myself this will be brilliant, I held up the phone and started speaking into it enthusiastically. 5 minutes later the video was out there and the likes and comments started rolling in.
Social media has been around a long time. It’s now a standard way we might advertise our clubs, promote big events and share good news stories. But despite our best efforts, juggling the demands of different platforms has often left us with a nagging feeling that we were never posting enough content and a lingering confusion about which demographic we were actually reaching, For many youthworkers, TikTok has appeared to be the answer. A definite youth audience, the ability to be messy and authentic as well as targeting video content to your local community, it has opened up new doors. In many ways, we have only just started to grasp the power and simplicity of TikTok as an evangelism tool. Earlier this year, British Youth for Christ launched their gaming ministry, Respawn. Going live on Twitch each day, playing popular online games but sharing the gospel with follow up posts on Instagram and TikTok. Not long after, we had our first story of impact, a young person was attending church because of their engagement with our content. It was a great start to this new ministry.
And then the government made an announcement; Social media will be banned for all under 16’s. And not just social media platforms but also video and gaming platforms such as YouTube and Twitch will also be impacted.
It’s not hard to understand why. It’s unregulated, often addictive and can be unsafe. Content that contains hate speech, violence and extreme views are all easily accessible and users can even access messages that incite self-harm and suicide.According to the UN, over a third of young people in 30 countries report being cyberbullied, with 1 in 5 skipping school because of it. One of the most high-profile cases is that of Molly Russell, a 14 year old from London who took her own life in 2017. In the six months leading to her death, Molly was exposed to thousands of pieces of harmful content related to suicide and self-harm, relentlessly pushed to her device by the algorithms of platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. An inquest in 2022 found the negative algorithmic amplification of graphic self-harm and suicide content on social media platforms directly contributed to her death.
But while 90% of parents in the government consultation said they backed a ban, Molly Russell’s father, Ian Russell, has spoken out and criticized the decision. He claimed the unintended consequences of a ban would cause more problems.
He cited research from the Molly Rose Foundation which shows that since the introduction of the Online Safety Act in 2023, there has only been a 3% drop in children viewing harmful content. Ian believes Ofcom need to get tougher on the companies behind the platforms. “At the heart of it are companies that put profit over safety,” he said. “That has got to change – and I don’t think that we’re that far away from it changing it – which is why it’s slightly exasperating that we’re going through these same arguments again now about bans”.
It is now well known that social media apps are free because of the revenue from ads and marketing. The more time we spend on an app, the more money they will get from advertising sales. They are therefore less interested in moderating content but how to keep us engaged.
In his book Stolen Focus, Johan Hari interviews employees and consultants from some of these companies who have tried to raise concerns or offer alternative solutions to their algorithms. He reveals how Google, whose motto was once “don’t be evil”, deliberately design their products to keep us glued to our screens and away from real life interaction. Knowing how often I use my own phone, it’s hard to argue against this.
Beyond the safety concerns already outlined, Johan argues that it stunts our ability to socialize in the real world, instead we stay addicted to our smart phones. For a younger generation, this is shaping how their mind engages with real people in the real world.
But it’s hard to ignore the benefits for young people too. As natives to social media, it’s now a normal way of socializing with their friends. It also allows other outlets too, enabling them to find others who share their interests, experiences and values. Or indeed to explore alternative values. Part of the growth of faith exploration in young people has been because of TikTok videos. There are now over 25 million videos with the hastag #christiantiktok. Dr Edward David, a lecturer at King’s College London, researched the religious behaviours of young people and attributes the increase – in part – to social media.
“A lot of young people are learning about religion for the very first time via social media. They might see a 30-second video and then they are hungry for more,” he said.
There’s no guarantee a ban will work either. Australia introduced a social media ban in December 2025 with mixed results. Whilst some young people felt relieved, polling shows that 61% of young people in Australia still access social media through VPNs. And what do young people think about this? Youthscape in their podcast referenced that while all ages were consulted, only parents views were spoken about in the press release. Indeed the same consultation asked children whether the benefits of social media outweighed the negatives. 40% said they strongly agreed, compared to 29% who strongly disagreed. Their own report states that ‘overall, children tend to favour a more selective approach to restricting different functionalities of services, rather than banning them altogether’. Furthermore, the Scottish Youth Parliament have just published a poll which found that 80% of young between the ages of 12-25, think the ban will fail to make the internet safer and lead to young people being forced into riskier, less regulated corners. Are we really listening to young people and their views on the subject?
The problem then, is far more nuanced than it might appear.
But what does this mean for us? Does this mean we need to quit our social media posts for young people?
The legislation hopes to be passed before Christmas and the ban will come into force by 2027. It’s a fast turnaround considering the online safety bill took 8 years of work. The speed is due to recent Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 which, on the basis of protecting children, allows them to make regulations requiring providers to prevent or restrict access to specified internet services or functionalities.
The speed also means there’s an awful lot that we still don’t know. Which apps will be affected has not been made clear. Whatsapp won’t be affected because it’s a messaging service. Live service multiplayer games such as Fortnite and Rocket League also won’t be affected. But it looks like Twitch and YouTube will be. In one question, Sir Kier Starmer suggested that YouTube Kids won’t be affected. No explanation was given but as YouTube kids doesn’t have commenting or a social media side to it, they seem to be classing it as a video streaming site. Discord hasn’t been mentioned, which could be an omission, but it could also be because Discord have recently implemented age verification systems. The consultation report also states that ‘there will be a narrowly defined list of exemptions, including, for example, educational services, ecommerce platforms and music streaming’ and that they ‘want to see more services designed specifically for under 16s’.
And so there lies the unknown. Which apps make the cut and which don’t? Will platforms be much more proactive at creating safety features or teen versions of their apps so that they can avoid the ban? After years of big tech companies being reluctant to change their apps, this ban and Australia’s ban may push them to take things a bit more seriously. It was telling, that 3 days after the announcement, Meta announced that Facebook and Instagram have implanted new systems to keep teens safe. My suspicion is that apps will adapt or new ones will pop up to fill the void. But that is only speculation on my part.
And this government is far from united. As I write, Keir Starmer has announced stepping down while a race commences for a new Prime Minister. How much will this impact the legislation being passed?
It would be naïve to think nothing will change. But equally we don’t need to give up entirely.
If you create content for young people on social media, here are a few things to consider if you are wondering how to respond:
- Assess your options but don’t feel a rush to make decisions. There is a lot that needs to be worked out, including which apps will be affected and if new apps emerge to fill a gap. Keep going with your regular content but consider your alternatives. Discuss your options with others in your organization so they are fully informed. It’s definitely worth reading the consultation outcomes report (Growing up in the online world: progress statement) as it also talks about other youthwork opportunities that could emerge including sport, arts, youth provision, mental health and online safety.
- There is clearly still an audience in the 16+ age range who you can tailor content for. You may just want to target this age group knowing that it’s likely that under 16’s will still see this content after the ban. This could create an ethical decision for you so chat with your line manager or another youthworker you trust about this. Youthwork happens where young people are, which is sometimes not where they are supposed to be!
- Create strong communication channels with parents. It’s easy to go to social media as the promotional tool for all your clubs. Consent forms, letters, emails and whatsapp groups to parents are all still effective and your approach to these will need to be strong to ensure that young people have all the latest info on what is going on. Balance this with the needs of your Privacy policy so you aren’t sharing individuals private email addresses or phone numbers with other individuals.
Growing up in the online world: progress statement
https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/child-and-youth-safety-online
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpwn1vjy0y5o
https://news.sky.com/story/how-did-gen-z-become-the-most-religious-generation-alive-13492027
https://shows.acast.com/6710bcbe488fde8559301aa2/6a32f4282a769315bafdd538