The Whole World is Severely Addicted, Government Finally Takes Action

Global social media giants are facing pressure as numerous countries plan and implement rules to restrict minors’ access to social media. The government is also applying similar regulations for children under 16 through PP Tunas.

Discussions on the dangers of social media for children are increasingly in the spotlight. Most recently, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that platforms such as Instagram and TikTok must act to stop young people from spending hours endlessly scrolling videos.

Like other countries including Indonesia, the UK is also considering restrictions on social media access for children. The UK is trialling app usage time limits to assess their impact on minors’ sleep, as well as family and school life.

“We are consulting on whether there should be a ban [on social media] for children under 16,” Starmer told BBC Radio, quoted from Reuters, Tuesday (14/4/2026).

“However, equally importantly, the scrolling mechanisms on social media that cause addiction are a serious issue for me. These mechanisms must be stopped,” Starmer added.

Starmer said social media companies design algorithms that encourage addictive behaviour among minors. This has led parents to urge the government to intervene.

In December 2025, Australia became the first country to ban social media for children under 16. Egypt and Indonesia also announced similar bans. For Indonesia, the introduction of PP Tunas was announced to the public in March 2025, but stricter enforcement began on 28 March 2026.

The UK government stated that more than 45,000 people have responded to the consultation on child safety in the online world. There is still time to provide input before the deadline set for 26 May 2026.

“We want to hear from mums and dads who are worried about the amount of time their children spend online and what they see,” said Minister for Technology Liz Kendall on Monday (13/4) local time.

“We want to hear from teenagers who know better than anyone what it’s like to grow up in the social media era. We also want to hear from families about their views on curfews, AI chatbots, and addictive features,” she added.