What does the social media ban mean for PSHE educators?

As every PSHE teacher will know by now, the government has agreed on a social media ban for children and young people under the age of 16.

Under current plans, the ban will include sites such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat,  Facebook and X, requiring platforms to have more robust age-checking.

High-risk features including livestreaming and contact from strangers will also be restricted for under‑16s on other online services like gaming. 16- and 17-year-olds will still be able to access social media, but live streaming, and stranger communication including in gaming, will be switched off by default for these ages.

Naturally, we’ve been reflecting on what this means for PSHE teachers and our lesson materials, particularly at key stages 3 and 4. Many of the lessons schools will currently be using explore the opportunities, risks and interactions young people might encounter on social media platforms — from specific lessons teaching this content, to others using fictional case studies and scenarios based in these online settings.

And of course, there are statutory requirements to teach about the characteristics of social media in the online safety and awareness section of the RSHE guidance. With this in mind, we wanted to reassure you that all PSHE Association lessons are fully compliant with the current legal position and the RSHE expectations on schools, and you can use them straight away from the start of term with complete confidence.

PSHE education has always been designed to be universal and preventative — to teach young people about the issues they might experience before they encounter them in the world.

Just as we teach about the risks associated with alcohol before young people turn 18, and about sexual relationships before they are 16, we should continue to teach about the benefits, challenges and safety considerations associated with social media before they are 16.

Whilst age-restrictions and bans may help to create safer parameters for young people when online, we also can’t rely on the ban to immediately stop all access to social media platforms.

Research from Australia, where a similar social media ban was implemented in December 2025, suggests that up to 85% of the 12-16 year olds in the study continued to access social media several months after the ban had come into force.

However, once the law is in place it will be important that the way we deliver PSHE lessons on online safety and social media doesn’t normalise social media use for under 16s. From this point onwards, we should avoid implying that younger pupils are accessing social media platforms or inadvertently create situations where there is social pressure to do so, for example through the characters and scenarios we present in the classroom.

So, when do we need to begin reflecting these changes?

The current timeline for the ban to be implemented in the UK is Spring 2027. As we progress towards this deadline, here at the PSHE Association we will be reviewing our lesson plans — especially those designed for pupils in key stage 2 and key stage 3 — to ensure they are compliant with changes to the law well in time for the ban coming into place.

And in the meantime, you might want to reflect on questions your pupils have about the ban. Having heard about it in the media, some young people may have the misconception that the ban is already in force or might want to know more about why the ban has been agreed. This will give you a good opportunity to explore the reasons behind the new laws and hear their views on staying safe online.