April 28, 2026

expert comments about social media restrictions after media report education minister Olivia Bailey said in the Commons the government would “impose some form of age or functionality restrictions” for under-16s

Scientists comment on Education Minister Olivia Bailey saying that the government would impose some form of social media restrictions for under-16s. 

Dr Holly Bear, Senior Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford; and Honorary Research Fellow in the Centre for Developmental Adversity and Resilience (CeDAR), University of Glasgow, said:

“The pressure to act to protect young people online is entirely understandable, and I share the concern that drives these proposals.  But the evidence base for national and statutory restrictions on social media remains limited, and we are still learning about what the mental health impacts on young people might be.  Whatever restrictions are introduced, rigorous evaluation must be built in from the outset.  The debate has too often been framed as binary, harmful or not harmful, when the reality is far more complex.  The effects of social media can vary enormously depending on who you are, how you use these spaces, the type of interactions you have online and the content you see.  For many young people, social media can be a source of identity formation, peer connection, and community belonging.  Restricting access without understanding those functions risks unintended consequences, including displacement to less regulated and potentially more harmful spaces.  We need to understand not just average effects, but what happens to those on the margins of policy, the adolescents for whom online spaces serve functions that have no easy offline equivalent.  We also cannot ignore the role of algorithmically driven content and platform design in shaping young people’s experiences.  Responsibility cannot rest with young people alone.  Yet young people themselves have been largely absent from these discussions, and we must include them in any evaluation.”

Declared interests

Dr Holly Bear: “I undertake consultancy work via Oxford University Innovation for Girl Effect, a charitable NGO, providing advisory input on youth mental health interventions.  This work is not related to social media regulation or policy.”