The Effects of Social Media on our Children
Social media is quickly becoming a dominant part of childhood. Most children now encounter platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube years before they're legally old enough to hold an account. For many families it has quietly reshaped how children relate to others, feel about themselves, and grow up.
Below we are taking a closer look at some of the key areas of concern in our children's wellbeing on social media, and what this will look like going forward with the new under 16’s ban in the UK.
The effect on children’s emotional health and wellbeing
With social media platforms built to maximise engagement, their algorithms often prioritise surfacing content that provokes strong emotional reactions, whether that's comparison, anxiety, or discomfort. For children, whose emotional regulation skills are still developing, this can be a lot to navigate.
Cyberbullying is a particular area of concern, since it follows a child home and into their bedroom in a way that playground bullying never could. Doom scrolling, fear of missing out, and exposure to distressing content can also contribute to heightened anxiety and low mood.
Sleep is another quiet casualty of social media, with late-night scrolling delaying bedtime and disrupting the quality of rest children need, which in turn affects mood, concentration, and emotional resilience the next day.
None of this means every child who uses social media will struggle emotionally, however the everyday exposure adds up in ways that are easy to underestimate.
The effect on children’s relational skills
One of the most significant and least talked about effects of heavy social media use is what it's doing to children's ability to build real relationships. Face to face interaction teaches children to read tone of voice, body language and facial expressions, skills that develop through repeated, in person experiences.
When a large share of a child’s social interaction happens through a screen, some of that practice is lost. Conversations become shorter, more transactional, and easier to walk away from with a swipe. Many children now find it easier to text a friend than to have a difficult conversation in person, which can leave them less equipped to handle conflict, rejection, or disagreement as they get older.
Group chats and online friendship dynamics also introduce new social pressures. Being left out of a group, watching a friendship play out publicly through likes and comments, or feeling obligated to reply instantly, issues that simply didn't exist for previous generations. Over time, this can make it harder for children to form the deep, resilient friendships that come from shared experience rather than shared content.
The effect on children’s development and self confidence
Social media arrives at a uniquely sensitive point in a child's development in the years when identity, body image, and self worth are still being formed. Curated feeds full of filtered photos, "highlight reel" lifestyles, and unrealistic beauty standards give children a distorted benchmark to measure themselves against. Likes, comments, and follower counts can start to feel like a scorecard for self worth, and children can become preoccupied with how they're perceived rather than who they actually are.
From constant comparison on body image, to peers' seemingly perfect lives, their holidays, achievements or friendship groups, this can chip away at a child's confidence in their own, ordinary, unfiltered life. Developmentally, this matters because childhood and early adolescence are when children are supposed to be exploring, failing, and building resilience away from an audience, something that's much harder to do when every version of yourself is potentially public.
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There is hope! What the under 16’s social media ban in the UK means
In June 2026, the UK government announced it will ban social media platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X from offering their services to children under 16, with the change expected to come into force in Spring 2027.
Messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal, along with dedicated educational platforms, will not be covered by the ban, so children will still be able to use the internet for learning, homework and keeping in touch with family and friends.
The responsibility for enforcing the ban sits with the platforms themselves rather than with parents or children. Companies will be legally required to introduce "highly effective age assurance" checks, and Ofcom will be able to fine repeat offenders up to 10% of their global annual revenue, or seek a court order to block a platform in the UK altogether.
Sixteen and seventeen year olds will still be allowed on social media, but higher risk features such as livestreaming and contact from strangers will be switched off by default for them too
For families, this could mean a real shift in day to day life, less pressure on parents to police accounts themselves, and potentially less exposure for younger children to algorithm driven content, cyberbullying, and the comparison culture described above.
While yes determined teenagers and children may still be able to find simple ways around the ban like fake dates of birth or VPNs or alternative apps pushing them into less regulated corners of the internet rather than protecting them from harm altogether.
Whatever the outcome, it marks one of the most significant interventions the government has made into how children experience the online world and it's likely to shape the global conversation on children and social media for years to come.
Setting boundaries that actually work
Legislation can only do so much, what happens at home still matters most! Simple consistent structures tend to work far better than ad hoc rules. For example, no phones at the dinner table, no devices charging in bedrooms overnight, and agreed "off" times before bed all remove the need for constant negotiation because the rule applies every day, not just when a parent notices too much screen time. Built in tools like Screen Time on iOS or Family Link on Android can help play out these limits.
Whatever boundaries a family chooses, they tend to stick best when they're explained rather than simply imposed. Children are far more likely to respect a rule they understand than one that just feels like a punishment.
It’s important to also model these healthy habits yourself, children learn far more from what they see than what they’re told. That might mean being honest about your own habits before focusing on theirs, it's all about children seeing that healthy limits are normal, not a punishment reserved for them.
The role your nanny can play in managing screen time at home
For many families, parents aren't the only adults setting the tone around technology, nannies and other carers often spend just as many waking hours with a child as parents do, which means they play a huge part in whether screen time rules actually stick.
A carer who reaches for a tablet to fill a quiet moment, however understandable, can quietly undo hours of careful boundary setting at home. It's worth having an honest, upfront conversation with any nanny about your family's approach to screen time, not as a rulebook to be recited, but as a shared understanding of why it matters.
This might mean agreeing on specific windows when devices are off limits, deciding together what "screen time" actually includes if that's audiobooks, video calls with grandparents or supervised education apps, and being clear about which platforms are or aren't allowed. It also helps to talk about alternatives in advance, so a nanny isn't left scrambling for something to fill the gap. A "boredom box" of craft supplies, a standing plan for outdoor time, or simply the expectation that unstructured play is the default rather than the exception, can make a real difference.
Children notice when the adults around them are consistent, and a nanny who feels genuinely included in the family's values, rather than just handed a list of restrictions, is far more likely to model and reinforce them naturally.
Keeping the conversation open
With bans and heavy restrictions coming into place, it can sometimes backfire pushing children to hide their online activity rather than talk about it. Ask about your child's online world the way you'd ask about their day at school, so that if something upsetting happens, they feel able to tell you rather than needing to manage it alone.
Helping children think critically about what they see also goes a long way. Talking about how influencers' lives are edited highlights rather than reality, and how ads and sponsored posts aren't neutral, gives children a bit of armour before they're exposed to it.
A few open, low-pressure questions can help keep that door open. Try asking “What's something funny you saw online today?", "Has anyone ever said something online that upset you?", "Do you ever feel pressure to keep up and reply to things straight away?" rather than a single formal "Let's talk about your phone" conversation that can feel like an interrogation.
Conclusion
Staying informed and engaged in our children’s digital lives is one of the most effective ways to help them navigate the online world safely and confidently. While new legislation may provide valuable protections, no law can replace the guidance, boundaries, and open conversations that can foster resilience and healthy habits. Social media is now firmly woven into childhood, and by remaining present, proactive and up to date we can ensure that technology supports our children’s growth rather than shaping it at the expense of their wellbeing.
About Kindred Nannies
The team at Kindred Nannies has over 20 years of experience helping families find a nanny in the UK and abroad. We have assisted hundreds of nannies to find a rewarding nanny job caring for children of all ages throughout London and the surrounding areas.
