Can I give my child permission to use social media after the ban?

Ok so this social media ban thing is happening and my child is under 16 but I want them to stay on social media - can I give them permission?

Short answer is no.

Parents or guardians won't be able to give their consent for their young people to access social media before they are 16 years of age.

This is a blanket ban that will affect all children under 16. It's not actually up to the parents to grant or deny access, but instead, the responsibility is on the social media platforms to make sure that kids under 16 can't get online.

Where the responsibility is on parents is to encourage their kids to have a good attitude about the ban. Don't let them use your social media accounts when they can't access theirs, don't encourage them to find ways to get around it, and actually talk to them about how this could be a good thing, not just the end of the world.

For a lot of parents, this is going to make it easier to put boundaries in for tech use, to get your kids off their phones and back out playing in nature, making music and doing sport.

What do you think - should parents be able to give their kids permission to be on social media?

Social media ban workshops are the best way to educate your staff, students and parents about the ban. Book in for a social media ban training for your school, organisation or local government.