‘Stricter restrictions are required to guard our kids – no motion on social media will not be an choice’
Stricter restrictions are required to protect our children as they navigate a more uncertain world than their mums and dads – from fewer job prospects to more mental health pressures
Voice of the Mirror has its say…
Learn from Aussies on socials ban
Hasty legislation often makes for bad law because not enough time is given to weighing up unintended consequences. Which is why Keir Starmer has taken time to hold a consultation into an Australian-style social media ban for under-16s.
So far, the evidence since its introduction in December last year has been mixed. Platforms are legally responsible for age checks in a way they were not before and some 4.7 million accounts have been closed.
Yet that does not translate into the number of youngsters, as many had multiple accounts, and six in 10 still have access to some social media having got around verification.
There are also reports of teenagers showing interest in dodgier, unregulated sites. Some parents have noticed positive behavioural changes. Others worry that their kids are missing out on online support from friends.
But as Technology Secretary Liz Kendall tells us today, parents in this country are crying out for something to be done.
Stricter restrictions are required to protect our children as they navigate a more uncertain world than their mums and dads – from fewer job prospects to more mental health pressures.
More thought may be needed on a total ban on social media for youngsters until a clearer picture of the Australian experiment emerges. However, no action is not an option.
Find justice
We know the criminal justice system is not perfect – sometimes the innocent are convicted and the guilty get off. Celebrity lawyer Rob Rinder is still haunted by a murder case he successfully defended 20 years ago – not because the verdict was wrong, but over the devastating effect the acquittal had on the victim’s family.
The relatives of 22-year-old Liverpool mum Lucy Hargreaves, who was shot and set on fire in her own home, are still looking for answers. Rob cannot provide them, but he has met Lucy’s family for a new documentary in the hope it might help.
He was moved to tears by the family’s generous understanding that he had just been doing his job. Good may come from bringing this agonising story to the screen if it prompts someone to come forward with new information – and deliver the justice to Lucy’s family they have waited too long to see.
Kev’s big day
Michael Le Vell’s Coronation Street character Kevin Webster has had a rollercoaster love life. The Weatherfield mechanic has been embroiled in string of marriages and affairs.
Now Michael has wed in real life – to longterm partner, Louise Gibbons. And we wish the couple a lifetime of real happiness.
