Social media ban could stifle Gen Z’s ambitions
Everyone wants to protect young people online, but social media has quietly become one of the best learning platforms for business, says Charlie Terry
Let’s be clear. Having protective restrictions in place for under-16s is a good idea. Much of what young people encounter online day to day would have been unthinkable on any mainstream platform a decade ago, highlighting a clear lack of effective safeguarding. The digital world has, in many instances, become a hostile space for young people.
So, it is unsurprising that the UK government is going back and forth in debating the introduction of age-based restrictions on social media platforms and joining a growing international consensus. Australia has actually gone ahead with it, legislating a complete ban for under-16s, with Greece and Spain among others now looking to follow suit.
Australia was the first country in the world to implement such a ban in December 2025 but reports since suggest that over 60 per cent of young Australians are continuing to access restricted platforms with ease. Despite these good intentions, they have not guaranteed real-world results.
And yet, amid this debate, something important is being overlooked. Social media has quietly become one of the best learning platforms for business. As young people promote their e-commerce shops and build digital product businesses from home, they are amassing audiences that established brands would envy. In doing so, they are learning marketing and analytical skills, as well as business and brand strategy, all of which are absent from any formal school curriculum but are increasingly essential in today’s society.
With the cost-of-living putting increasing pressure on families across the country and London recording the highest youth unemployment rate in the UK, with roughly one in four young people out of work, why take away that entrepreneurial spirit. Employers increasingly demand experience beyond the degree, and creating a social media business has become both a source of financial support and practical, desirable CV skills.
Inspiring a generation
With the rise of founders like London-based business owner, Grace Beverley, who built a multi-million-pound business whilst documenting their journey on social media, inspiring an entire generation to see what’s possible when youth, ambition, and the power of building a consumer audience and platform come together. Surveys now find that three-quarters of young people want to start their own business, of which that ambition was not born in a classroom. It was sparked online, through seeing successful role models who have detailed the highs and lows of creating a business.
These restrictions could have major implications for London, which is not only a global capital of finance and culture but has also become one of the world’s leading hubs for the creator economy. The UK’s creator ecosystem is estimated to generate over £2.2bn in economic value, built on an audience who grew up online and learned to build businesses before they were old enough to vote. Due to this, in London, there is projected to be a 10 per cent year-on-year increase in job opportunities in social media and marketing roles. Therefore, highlighting that without having these skills, it can limit job opportunities.
Ultimately, the problem was never the platforms themselves, which were built to connect and inspire. It has been the absence of accountability from the government and the
behind-the-scenes actors that allowed abusive behaviour to go unchallenged and shielded by anonymity. Britain has a real opportunity to lead here, not by copying other countries, but by doing something smarter through robust age verification, stronger standards to prevent inappropriate content being viewed, and verified pathways for young people to build something real.
Until then, the government needs to make clear what these restrictions will be going forward. Will it be a total social media ban? Will it limit the hours that young people can spend on social media? Or will it be restrictions on certain sites or content? Until these questions are answered, young entrepreneurship is in the balance.
The clear goal should always be to make these social media platforms a safer place for all users, and yes, there is no harm in time limits especially within school hours.
Supporting protective restrictions for young people from those who seek to exploit and abuse them – absolutely. But the next generation of entrepreneurs should not pay the price for other people’s bad behaviour. They deserve both safety and a place to grow.
Charlie Terry is founder of CEEK Marketing