Jack Thorne, the creator of the Netflix drama Adolescence, has voiced strong support for imposing stricter regulations on social media use among children, suggesting the UK could adopt a policy similar to Australia’s recent legislation that bans social media access for under-16s. Speaking to the Commons’ Women and Equalities Committee during an inquiry into misogyny among young boys, Thorne highlighted how social media platforms are "marketing misogyny" to boys as a means of profit.
Thorne explained that his research for Adolescence—which explores dark online influences and harmful cultural themes—revealed misogynistic content is widespread on the internet and often presented to young boys through seemingly harmless forums, including those centred around popular games like Minecraft. "I think it should be the platform's responsibility, as they're making it in Australia, and I think that at the moment they are making money off it," Thorne said, referring to tech companies' financial incentives in promoting harmful attitudes toward women.
In a comparison to Australian legislation passed in November, which imposes fines of up to A$50 million (£25.7 million) on tech firms that fail to comply, Thorne endorsed the possibility of the UK introducing similar laws. He commented, "For me legislation that protects our kids from the internet is a useful thing to do," and praised Australia’s approach as "very interesting," expressing hope that other nations would pursue equivalent measures.
Describing the internet as the "wild west," Thorne warned of its destructive potential and noted that older generations often underestimate the impact of online environments. He further elaborated on how algorithms are tailored to expose young boys to misogynistic content, which raises concerns about the role of social media platforms in shaping harmful attitudes.
The evidence provided by Thorne comes amid broader discussions about online safety regulations. Recent rules from Ofcom, aimed at curbing the availability of damaging content—such as pornography and material promoting suicide or eating disorders—require platforms to redesign recommendation algorithms and introduce stringent age checks for restricted content. However, Ofcom’s guidelines fall short of instituting a full ban on social media access for children under 16.
The debate over online misogyny and child safety has also seen political engagement. Labour leader Keir Starmer recently supported making Adolescence freely available to secondary schools as a tool for educating young people and teachers about online harms.
The Daily Mail is reporting that this discourse reflects growing concern over the intersection of technology, youth exposure to harmful content, and the responsibilities of tech companies in moderating platforms used by children.
Source: Noah Wire Services