Asking teenagers to limit their own social media use is a laughable waste of time (UK 16- and 17-year-olds to be encouraged to follow midnight social media curfew, 14 July). I am still mystified that the regulation of these massively profitable services is being left to the user.
In Britain, television is tightly regulated by Ofcom, with rules governing the showing of sex, drugs and violence, and the requirement for impartiality and accuracy. The public must also be protected from unduly offensive material.
Far from having a chilling effect on output, regulation has helped Britain produce some of the world’s best television, to the highest standards. Why are social media providers not being held to the same standards?
Stephanie Calman
Author, Confessions of a Bad Mother
