Guernsey Backs Social Media Ban for Kids Amid Mental Health Concerns

A recent poll in Guernsey has revealed that a majority of people support banning social media for children under the age of 16. The poll was conducted by Island Global Research after the UK government began discussing a similar ban, with hopes to stop young children from accessing social media by spring 2027. The poll asked 849 people over the age of 16 in Guernsey if they would support a ban on social media for under-16s, using the same model as the UK and Australia. Out of those who responded, 63 percent said they would support the ban, 30 percent were against it, and 7 percent were unsure.

The poll also looked at how many children are already using social media. It found that 32 percent of parents said their children under 10 use social media, and this number jumps to 80 percent for children aged 10 to 15. Many parents and adults are worried about the risks that social media can bring to children. These risks include mental health problems, bullying, and seeing harmful content online. Some parents said that it is difficult to control their children’s use of social media because of peer pressure. Peer pressure means that children feel they have to use social media because their friends are using it.

Even though many people support the idea of a ban, there are concerns about how it would be enforced. Some leaders in Guernsey, like the Home Affairs President Marc Leadbeater, have said they are watching what happens in the UK before making any decisions. The Education President Paul Montague has also raised questions about how to make sure the rules are followed. The poll was open to people in Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man, and Gibraltar from June 17 to June 22, 2026. The managing director of Island Global Research, Lindsay Jefferies, said that while the poll was not fully representative of the whole population, it showed a clear pattern, especially among women and parents, who were more likely to support a ban. The results show that people are worried about the effects of social media on children, but they also know that making and enforcing new rules will be a big challenge.