'I can't stop using it' - under-16s have their say on possible social media ban

Australia implemented an outright ban six months ago which prevents under-16s from creating new social media accounts - and deactivated existing ones - on ten major social media platforms including TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.

Iga thinks any attempt to do the same here would just result in "everyone finding a way round it".

According to a survey by the Molly Rose Foundation, 61% of Australians aged 12-15 who had used social media before the ban still have access to one or more accounts.

The consultation in the UK will hear from academics who have been studying the effect of Australia's ban and it will also gauge opinion on less severe restrictions.

Among these measures are switching off particular features on social media apps, like video autoplay and infinite scrolling.

Some believe features like these can cause addiction-like symptoms among users. One study found a sharp rise in what it termed "problematic" social media use among children since the pandemic.

Maisie is in favour of switching off these features, she thinks they currently help to make social media "addictive" and "distract [people] from healthier hobbies", like the musical theatre classes she does on Saturdays.

The 14-year-old tells me: "I think [stopping autoplay] would help because it would give you a minute to think rather than just going straight in and watching the video."

She'd actually go further and ban short-form video altogether because "they shorten children's attention spans".

In her view, long-form videos - the kind you might find on YouTube - tend to be more educational and less harmful because they don't provide the instant gratification of short-form content.

She doesn't use TikTok but admits to spending prolonged amounts of time scrolling on Instagram, particularly clips of her favourite films - everything from Lego Star Wars to Legally Blonde.

Usually it's about two to three hours each day but she would like to reduce that. She finds the idea of limiting scrolling much more palatable than a total ban. "Because it's so much of my day, I can't just stop using it."

Another measure being considered in the consultation is mandatory overnight curfews to help children sleep better and how age verification can be strengthened to stop underage children from creating accounts.

Peace, 15, supports the latter measure. "If there's a restriction on using social media based on age, then I think that's there for a reason. Young kids shouldn't be exposed to things they're not meant to see."

She thinks switching off features like autoplay would be more annoying than effective. An outright ban? "That's too far," she says. It would inhibit communication with her friends, diminish the entertainment she enjoys and cut her off from role models.

"I like inspirational [content]. I look up to people and I see them on social media achieving great things. I think to myself, wow - I want to do that too. And you get to see how they did it, so maybe I could follow in their footsteps."

The consultation is also examining restrictions for digital tools beyond social media, including limits and changes to the way children can use AI chatbots.

Some parents worry that their children are messaging these chatbots like they are real people and relying on them for advice.

One mother told BBC News last year that a chatbot encouraged suicidal thoughts in her 14-year-old son before he took his own life.

Iga is also concerned about the impact of generative AI on her peers, particularly when it can be used to create naked images of real people based on nothing more than a photo. "It's disgusting to even hear about people doing that."

The government said it would respond to the consultation in the summer and decide how to deliver online protections after that.

Isaac hopes there won't be an outright ban on social media for him and his friends. If there was?

"It wouldn't be a major change to my life, but it would be annoying." Outside there are always footballs waiting to be kicked.