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.
