The majority of people in Northern Ireland want the UK to introduce an Australia-style ban
teenager with tablet while lying on the floor in the room(Image: Yalana)
An overwhelming majority of people in Northern Ireland support a social media ban for under-16s, exclusive polling for Belfast Live has shown.
Australia has already taken steps to ban children from social media, and according to extensive polling on smartphones and young people, four out of five in Northern Ireland (77%) want the UK to follow suit, amid fears that many young teenagers spend too much time on their screens.
Social media giants are accused of creating harmful algorithms that parents claim have led to addiction, radicalisation, self-harm, and even suicide.
Last month, the House of Lords voted decisively for a full social media ban for under-16s – backing an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing Bill by Conservative peer Lord Nash in favour of such a measure in the UK.
Exclusive polling shows that the vast majority in the UK (80%) would welcome that ban.
People in Northern Ireland are the most concerned in the UK about screentime, with 79% admitting they are worried about what their children are seeing on their smartphones. However, 13% said they had no concerns, the highest proportion in the UK.
The most common concern people in Northern Ireland had was that children could be exposed to inappropriate content.
The poll also revealed that children in Northern Ireland most commonly receive their first phone at the age of 9 years, 11 months, and 12 days.
That’s seven months younger than the UK average of 10 years, 6 months, and 26 days.
The Australian ban is a world first and came into force in December. It prevents under-16s from accessing content from 10 major social media platforms, including Facebook, X, Snapchat, and Instagram.
You can check the poll results and see how your area matches up using our interactive map.
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