Social media ban could shut the door on future talent, say teen influencers

Social media has risks but has given us opportunities too, teen influencers say 13 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Tiffanie Turnbull Ziame Stewart Budding singer and dancer Ziame worries the policy could bury a generation of creative talent Ziame Stewart can barely remember a time he was not performing for social media. The 15-year-old has always loved singing and dancing, and says he has been filming "silly little videos" almost his whole life. He started by making videos for friends and family when he lived abroad as a young child, but his hobby gradually grew into a passion and now potentially a future career. Had Ziame been born a few years later, his career might have been in trouble before it even began thanks to the UK's new policy banning under-16s from social media. Although he will be turning 16 just before the new rules come into effect next spring, the budding singer and dancer is still frustrated. He thinks the policy could bury a generation of creative talent. He points to hugely successful artists such as Justin Bieber and Billie Eilish, and his own personal inspiration, British rising star Sekou, who were all discovered on social media as teenagers. "Imagine if this ban was put through ages ago - we wouldn't have any of this music," he tells the BBC. Every day, Ziame posts covers of popular hits, snippets of his own original music, and dance videos set to trending tracks on social media. He's convinced that promoting his work, connecting with fans and selling tickets to his shows would be a Herculean task without the platforms. "I would not be doing what I'm doing now." While people like Ziame worry the ban could have unintended consequences, proponents insist it is necessary to protect children from harmful content, addictive algorithms, online predators and cyberbullying. Revealing the plans on Monday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "I am not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children, and that is why this ban must happen." He said the policy would give children more time, security and freedom to grow up. When will social media ban start, and which apps will be affected? Social media ban - bold and blunt, but no silver bullet Additional restrictions for older children, aged 16 and 17, are in the works too, with more details to be announced next month. The UK government is joining Australia - where similar world‑leading laws came into force in December - in arguing that tech giants have had plenty of time to make their platforms safer but have failed to do so. Many teens see where parents and policymakers are coming from. Harry Sawtell – a beauty influencer who has more than 100,000 followers on his social media accounts – knows first-hand how cruel social media can be. His feeds are full of upbeat "get ready with me" videos, posts unpacking shopping hauls, and clips in which he talks about his life as a gay teen. Harry Sawtell Harry Sawtell, a beauty influencer, says he knows how cr