Rosie comments... on potential UK social media ban
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21 January 2026
Rosie Nicholson, Director of Speech Therapy Surrey London, comments on recent news that the UK is exploring a potential social media ban.
As a speech therapist working with children and families every day, I welcome serious national conversations about the impact of social media on young people’s development. Excessive time on screens and social media can correlate with delays in expressive language skills and reduced opportunities for rich, face-to-face interaction that underpin effective communication development in childhood.
Social platforms can expose children to a barrage of rapid-fire abbreviations, slang and fragmented language that might be useful in some contexts, but they also risk reducing meaningful conversational practice and self-regulated speech, especially in younger children whose language and social communication skills are still forming.
A well-designed policy that protects children from harmful content and addictive design, while encouraging positive development and real-world interaction, could support better communicative outcomes.While a full ban might not be realistic, from a mother’s perspective I feel passionate that our children are taught how to navigate digital communication safely and effectively, rather than simply restricting access without equipping them with the skills they need.