Thank you to everyone who took part in my recent survey on online safety. The strength of feeling was clear, young people are concerned about the harmful content that they encounter online: from self-harm and suicide material, to violent and exploitative content – but just as clear was the message that a blanket ban on social media is not the solution.
While many support stronger age protections, most respondents recognised that banning young people from platforms altogether does not address the root cause of the problem. Children are growing up in a digital world. Simply removing them from it does not make that world safer, it allows social media companies to avoid confronting the way their platforms are designed.
We must not allow tech companies to forget their responsibility. If harmful content is being pushed toward children, that is a failure of systems and safeguards – not simply parenting.
It was an honour to speak with Ian Russell about the meaningful changes needed to protect young people online. His work has been instrumental in driving this debate forward, and his message is clear: no parent should have to live in fear of the content their child may see.
I also strongly recommend reading the “Roadmap for a better online future” from the Molly Rose Foundation, which sets out practical steps to strengthen regulation, improve transparency, and ensure child safety is built into platform design from the start.
My survey results demonstrate that the public want action, but they want the right action. Stronger enforcement, greater accountability, and safer systems, not simple solutions that fail to tackle the real problem.