Debate contribution: Social Media: Children and Young People

Debate contribution by Ms Cara Hunter on 10 February 2026.

MLA

Ms Cara Hunter

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

10 February 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

Social Media: Children and Young People

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5435898

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I beg to move

I welcome the opportunity to raise the issue. I believe firmly that it is time to have a conversation about the next steps on this important issue. The evidence is growing, public concern is rising and our children are growing up in a world where they are navigating a complex online environment that was not designed with either their safety or development in mind. Today, we will debate the issue that the Assembly:

"recognises the growing body of evidence linking social media use"

with:

"harm to the mental health, well-being and development of children and young people".

Our motion notes:

"the increasing concern around exposure to harmful content, addictive design features"

and life-ruining — sadly, sometimes, life-ending — online abuse. It recognises that:

"countries are now moving towards stronger age-based restrictions".

On this island, conversations are already taking place on that in the South. I fear that, if we do not move to have those discussions now, our children will be left behind. Let me be clear from the outset that the SDLP and I know that an instant ban is not a perfect fix. It must not be brought in prematurely, and it is not a silver bullet. I firmly believe, however, that a ban is a proportionate step — one of many — in the right direction. Children see harmful content every day. We cannot debate the issue honestly until we recognise what children see and experience. Recent research by Ofcom revealed that seven out of 10 children aged 11 to 17 have either seen or heard harmful content online. That could be pornography, graphic murders such as beheadings, suicides and more. It is not odd or occasional exposure; it is routine. It is daily: day and night. Children have access to phones around the clock. The new generation are tech-literate; often, much more so than their parents. The motion will not be popular with under-16s. When I was 16, thinking that I knew better, I would have detested someone like me who said that they would take away my social media. I am a little older now and further removed from that. It is important to have the conversation as adults and make tough decisions to protect our children.

In the interests of time, I will not give way, but I look forward to our discussion later. It is a day for recognising that we do not let our kids gamble and do not let them smoke or drink, so why do we give them access to social media platforms that have a plethora of harms at the touch of their fingertips? We are here today to have a tough conversation and, perhaps, an uncomfortable one. Such stances may make us unpopular and might even cost us a few votes, but it is important that we take them. Years ago, if you made a silly mistake as a child or teenager, it was assigned to the past. Now, due to phones, social media and the rise of smartphone-enabled surveillance culture, mistakes that you make live for ever online. That is not right, and it is a lot for our children to bear. Many will rightly see it as a parenting issue, but we know that parents are often in the dark. A new UK Government campaign launched today reveals research that around half of parents have never spoken to their children about toxic online content. Mr Baker will agree with me that many parents do not know what a virtual private network (VPN) is; they do not know what incognito mode is; and they do not understand that images and text messages can disappear and thus leave behind no trail or footprints when people are chatting on online platforms. The platforms and social media sites are, sadly, a dream for predators, such as in the deeply sad, horrific Alexander McCartney case, which, sadly, led to two suicides and many victims scarred for life. It is unthinkable, yet it happens every day. Just yesterday, 9 February 2026, a young woman called Prin-May Dickson, who endured horrific abuse on social media and on the gossip platform Tattle Life, died by suicide. She was just 16 years old. Today, I think of her family, and it is a poignant reminder of how we must act appropriately when it comes to social media platforms and our young people. The motion also rightly highlights the addictive design features, which matter because the systems are engineered to maximise time on platform engagement and data extraction from our young people. Endless scroll, autoplay, push notification and algorithmic feeds are not neutral features; they are behaviour-shaping mechanisms. It is really important to note that, given that our young people's brains are still developing. I acknowledge that we cannot pass one simple vote, make one simple change and declare the job done. That is why the motion explicitly acknowledges that:

"restrictions alone are not sufficient and that a holistic approach is required, including stronger platform regulation, digital literacy, parental support and effective enforcement;".

That speaks in union with the Sinn Féin amendment. We need robust age assurance. We need safety-by-design requirements for our children's experiences. We need clear enforcement; we need digital literacy; and we need to support our young people to keep them safe online and offline every day.

888 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:52 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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