Polling shows some teens are less likely to turn to adults for support

Molly Rose Foundation, Flippgen and Breck Foundation are working together to understand the impact of a ban on children and families. Our polling shows that confidence in speaking to parents or carers about online safety concerns falls by 12 percentage points, from 88% to 76%, in a scenario where young people remain on social media despite a ban. Similarly, confidence in speaking to teachers about the same issue falls by 18 percentage points, from 55% to 37%. 

We are warning that the combination of children continuing to access potentially harmful platforms while becoming less likely to seek support creates a significant safeguarding concern – particularly as most teenagers (68%) believe their peers will find ways around the restrictions. We are urging families to be mindful of how they talk about both children’s online safety and their access to technology, as early evidence suggests conversations around a ban can affect young people’s willingness to seek help from safe adults.

Experts at our organisations say another unintended consequence of a ban may be that children’s online behaviours are less visible to their parents than ever before. Early evidence from Australia’s ban points to a decline in parental awareness of children’s social media use, with the proportion of parents unaware that their child was using social media – rising from 23.3% prior to the ban to 33.3% just three months after restrictions were introduced.

Youth ambassadors from the Breck Foundation and FlippGen have shared guidance on having constructive conversations that reflect the realities of growing up in a digital society, and keep young people’s safety and wellbeing at the centre: 

• ‘Be the role model you want us to follow. If you want us to have healthy digital habits, show us what that looks like. Whatever you think about social media, make sure we know we can talk to you if something goes wrong online. We need support, not judgement. Please make sure we know you are still on our side, even when you are setting boundaries.’
• ‘Listen to our experiences and help us find support. Don’t just tell us what you think. Ask us how these changes affect us and make sure we know where to go for help if something goes wrong online. Restrictions won’t stop some young people from experiencing harm, so we need to know where to go.’
• ‘Keep learning with us. The online world changes quickly. Be open to learning alongside us and try not to compare everything to your own childhood. Instead of saying “we managed without it”, ask what is different now and what support young people today actually need.’

We are calling on Andy Burnham’s government to ensure the ban is implemented in a way that does not put young people in harm’s way. Urgent clear guidance for families, schools and safeguarding professionals is needed to help them understand and manage the risks created by a ban. At the same time, policy makers should give social media companies strong incentives to make their platforms safe by design.

Kate Edwards, Head of Education and Support at Molly Rose Foundation, said: “We cannot afford to wait until 2027 to start conversations with children about the social media ban. We’re hurtling towards an alarming reality: Children will continue to face harm online while feeling less able to speak to the safe adults in their lives. The ban alone will not protect young people from online harm, and this is something that should concern us all. Keeping young people safe and healthy online depends not only on reducing their exposure to harm, but also on ensuring they feel able to talk about their worries and seek support.”

Paddy Crump, Campaigns Director at FlippGen, said: “These findings align with what we hear every day from young people. It’s no surprise that when something so fundamental to young people’s lives is banned, 68% say most under-16s will find a workaround. And it’s no surprise that, once banned, children become less likely to talk to trusted adults about what they see online – because they feel they’re doing something wrong. That creates a dangerous combination: young people still encountering harmful content, but now less willing to talk about it. Conversation matters more than ever, and young people need to feel genuinely heard in it. Instead of punitive measures, they need compassion and support.”

Erica Thornton, Chief Executive at the Breck Foundation, said: “Young people’s drop in confidence when telling trusted adults about online harm isn’t a verdict on parents and teachers, it’s a signal that they need more support to be a safe place for teens. Our real worry is that a ban gives everyone a false sense of security. 68% of young people told us they think most teens will find a way around it, which shows that switching off platforms doesn’t switch off the risk. Regulation is welcome, but it can’t fix the problem alone. What actually keeps young people safer is making sure trusted adults are properly equipped to have honest, judgment-free conversations. That’s the gap Breck Foundation exists to close, and it’s why we back a trusted-adult approach sitting alongside any regulation, not replacing it.”