In recent weeks the British government has announced that social media will be banned for under 16s. Australia implemented their own ban last year. Social media bans have attracted mixed reviews; some say that they will keep children safe, others say it takes the responsibility away from the big tech companies.

Our guest today helps us to understand what social media bans are, and what the effects of them could be. Harry Dyer is a digital sociologist and lecturer at the University of East Anglia. He researches the impact of social media on identity and education - particularly in children. We live in a world that has adopted social media as a part of daily life - so is completely removing it from our kid’s lives just delaying their digital education? And kids are savvy, does banning it mean they won’t find a way to use it?

In this episode we’ll learn what it means to be a ‘digital native’ - and why that term is unhelpful; why digital education isn’t currently up to scratch; and what children are doing to get around social media bans in the countries that have already put them in place.

Resources & Links 

Information on the upcoming UK social media ban

Host: Stephanie von Bismarck 

Guest: Harry Dyer

Producer: Holly Fisher

Production Manager: Angela Crago 

Executive Producer: Ellie Di Martino 

The series was recorded and edited at PodShop studios