This whole thing pisses me off.
I pointed out this problem to a local MP about 15 years ago, but he and his ilk weren't interested in a teenager highlighting that there was nothing to do and nowhere else to go. He also wasn't too happy when I raised the point that the kids on bikes outside the chicken shop were less of a threat than the drunk men at the pub, who'd catcall and harass my friends and I.
The UK govt has set aside millions to push into afterschool clubs, activity clubs, and spaces like libraries, local museums, and cultural third spaces. This is great, but it's too little too late and largely inaccessible, especially with the recent bathroom laws, the increase in bullying, and the return of conservative ideologies that may make these spaces unsafe for LGBTQIA+ and disabled children. Most libraries shut around 5pm and many, especially those in more rural areas, do not have spaces where teens can simply exist. Few places have safe areas for kids to ride their bikes and scooters, and those that do often find that they're moved on by the concerned parents of younger children that don't want a teenager slamming into the child they've let run around the skate park. Many afterschool and activity clubs also charge fees, which is understandable, but it means that socialisation becomes another bill that parents have to pay and probably can't afford.
And again, it's too little, too late. My local high school has just made a series of changes to their site that mean they're slowly pushing out the local youth group. Said youth group is also no longer allowed to run it's annual festival, which was in commemoration of students who've died for various reasons, nor is it allowed to continue to offer face painting, glitter tattoos, or any other activity that may help fund it when tabling at community events. When I first moved into this area, it was a point of pride in our small town. It now faces the risk of closure. I highly doubt that this is unique to the group in my local area.
This is all before you consider that the government hasn't thought about how this may push kids towards more fringe sites that promote extremist ideology, contain worse forms of inappropriate content, or leave kids and their data even more exposed than they already are. Nor have they considered that victims of grooming and bullying are less likely to come forward because they'll be under the impression that they'll get in trouble for violating the ban.
The government has had ample time to fund community projects, after school clubs, and youth groups before even considering the under 16s ban. They've had ample time to introduce media literacy and online safety into the curriculum (we're adding a natural history gcse ffs, you couldn't just tweak IT, English, and Citizenship to include these???). But they haven't.
The social media ban is akin to applying a plaster to a bullet wound. I just hope we're able to put enough pressure on the wound to stop it from bleeding out.
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