Young people from Stoke-on-Trent were invited to share their thoughts on a social media ban for under 16s with their local MP and the Minister for AI and Online Safety,

More than 100 young people took part in parallel events in Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford hosted by Gareth Snell, the MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central, and Leigh Ingham, the MP for Stafford, Eccleshall, and the villages.

Gareth Snell MP hosted his event at Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College for students from the college itself, St Peter's Academy, St Joseph's Academy, Excel Academy, Discovery Academy and Birches Head Academy while Leigh Ingham MP hosted an event at the NSCG Institute of Technology, welcoming students from Stafford College, Blessed William Howard Catholic School, Sir Graham Balfour School, Stafford Manor High School, and King Edward VI School.

The sessions were led by the MPs alongside the Minister for AI and Online Safety, who joined the events at the MPs' invitation.

Gareth Snell, MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central, said: "I share the Government's commitment to protecting young people from the harms that they might encounter online but to best achieve this we need to hear the voices and experiences of those young people.

"That's why it was great to have so many students take part in the consultation event and speak with the Minister directly. Their insight into the platforms that they use and their take on what works well and what needs to be improved is invaluable."

The students spent the sessions discussing social media, exploring what works, what doesn't, and what they'd change.

Young people took part in group discussions and voted on key policy questions, including whether under-16s should be banned from social media, whether tech companies should be required to end infinite scroll, and who bears the greatest responsibility for keeping children safe online.

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Kanishka Narayan MP, Minister for AI and Online Safety, said: "Young people are the experts on their own online lives, and any policy on children's safety online has to start by listening to them.

"The students I met in Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent were thoughtful, informed, and didn't shy away from the hard questions - on infinite scroll, on age limits, on who should be held responsible when things go wrong.

"I want to thank Leigh Ingham and Gareth Snell for bringing together young people from across Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent to share their views, and every student who took part.

"What they told me today will directly inform how we approach the consultation on banning social media for under 16s, and the wider work we are doing to make the online world safer for children."

Heather McLachlan, Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College said: "In our academy trust, we understand that social media is part of daily life for our children and young people and that we are only beginning to understand its impact thanks to a growing research base.

"Our staff are using this research to try and navigate the best ways we can prepare students to navigate the positive and negative sides of social media"

The sessions form part of the Government's national conversation on children's digital wellbeing, launched in March 2026.

The three-month consultation, which closes on 26 May, is seeking views from parents, young people, and educators on measures including potential age limits for social media, overnight curfews, and restrictions on addictive platform features such as autoplay and infinite scroll.

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