Musician backs under-16 social media ban

A singer with more than five million online followers has backed a proposal to ban under-16s from accessing social media platforms.

Casey Lowery, who has built an audience of 3.8 million followers on TikTok and 1.3 million on Instagram through his music and comedy videos, said social media platforms had boosted his career, but admitted they were also "so addictive".

His support comes after the government launched a consultation on restricting social media access for under-16s in the UK as part of wider measures aimed at "protecting young people's wellbeing".

Lowery said the platforms had "huge pros", but also "negatives".

The world's first social media ban for young people took effect in Australia in December, prompting other countries including the UK to consider following suit.

Lowery, from Chesterfield in Derbyshire, said he "does everything" on social media to promote his music.

"It's the only free marketing you can do," he said.

After getting his first taste of social media at 15, Lowery said he began to gain a following in 2022 when he started to post short, funny songs reacting to TikTok videos.

Lowery's three most‑watched TikTok videos have reached 54.8 million, 33.1 million and 24.5 million views.

"I think they [the government] should ban it. I don't think there are any problems in banning it," he said.

"There are huge pros to social media. Young people are able to learn on social media, people are more connected to news nowadays, for example.

"The negatives are so crazy, especially for a young brain. It's so addictive."

Lowery, who said he had seen an older family member scrolling on their phone for hours, added: "I just don't think they need to be on social media at all. Why would an under 16-year-old need to be on social media?"

Some experts and children's charities have cautioned against the idea - but it has strong backing elsewhere.

The NSPCC, Childnet, and suicide prevention charity the Molly Rose Foundation were among 42 individuals and bodies to argue a ban would be the "wrong solution".

More than 60 Labour MPs have written to the prime minister saying they backed a ban, as well as Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who has already said her party would introduce a social media ban for under-16s if it was in power.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announced a "swift" consultation on measures to "keep children safe online" and seek views on the effectiveness of a ban.

It will assess the merits of a ban for under-16s, as well as overnight curfews and actions to prevent "doom-scrolling".

According to the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, the consultation will "seek views from parents, young people and civil society" to determine the effectiveness of a ban.

It would also look at whether more robust age checks could be implemented by social media firms, which could be forced to remove or limit features "which drive compulsive use of social media".

Meanwhile, England's education inspectorate, Ofsted, will give tougher guidance to schools to reduce phone use, including telling staff not to use their devices for personal reasons in front of pupils.

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