Youth Panel: Social Media Ban - The What Really Matters Podcast

🎙️ In this episode of the *What Really Matters – Youth Panel* podcast, we bring young people into the conversation to explore social media, connection and what growing up online really feels like for a generation that has never known a world without it. Joined by young people - Leon, Charlie and youth worker Nick, the panel discusses the positives and negatives of social media from the perspective of young people themselves. From finding community, inspiration and opportunities to the pressures of appearance, online bullying, grooming, algorithms and constantly feeling connected. The conversation also asks whether banning social media for under-16s is really the answer, or whether young people, parents and communities need better education and support to navigate online spaces safely. Looking further ahead, the panel explores AI, changing attention spans, the future of human connection and whether technology will ultimately bring us closer together or push us further apart. We explore: • Whether previous generations had it easier or harder growing up without social media. • The difference between online connection and face-to-face relationships. • Why constantly capturing experiences can sometimes stop us from actually living in the moment. • How social media can help young people discover communities, opportunities and people who inspire them. • The pressures around appearance, identity, belonging and fitting in online. • Online grooming, harmful content and the importance of educating young people about digital safety. • Whether banning social media for under-16s would protect young people or simply take away their freedom and opportunities. • Why parents, schools and youth workers all have a role in helping young people navigate social media. • Whether digital youth work can ever replace the relationships and experiences created in physical youth spaces. • The impact of algorithms, short-form content and endless scrolling on how young people think and consume information. • How AI could change relationships, creativity, employment and the way we communicate in the future. • Why regulation, education and giving young people a genuine voice need to be part of the conversation about technology. 📱 A thoughtful conversation about growing up online, the opportunities and pressures social media creates, and what young people themselves think needs to change. 💥 A raw and wide-ranging discussion about identity, relationships, algorithms, AI and how we make sure technology works for young people rather than controlling them. 🎙️ Want to have your say on What Really Matters to you? Contact Ben Carpenter at [info@grassrootcommunities.org](mailto\:info@grassrootcommunities.org) 👉 Subscribe for more conversations amplifying young people’s voices and creating a platform for real change. 💰 If you'd like to explore sponsoring the What Really Matters podcast, please get in touch. Learning from the past and present to help inform a brighter future — What Really Matters ❤️