Social Media Bans: Are Parents Failing? Episode 628

On today’s show, Niall begins with the latest on the Mercosur trade deal, getting an update directly from Brussels with TD Paul Lawless as concerns continue to grow about its potential impact on Irish farming and food standards.

Then we turn to today’s main topic — and it’s one that’s igniting fierce debate across Europe. Following developments in the UK, where MPs have voted in favour of tighter restrictions that could effectively ban under-16s from accessing social media platforms, many are now asking whether Ireland is next.

The move comes after months of warnings about the harm social media can cause to children’s mental health, exposure to adult content, and online exploitation. But it also raises uncomfortable questions. Why are governments now stepping in to ban children from private platforms in order to keep them safe? Is this really about protecting young people — or about filling a gap left by parents?

Have we reached a point where parenting has been outsourced to legislation? Has this generation of parents been too permissive, allowing children unchecked access to adult conversations and content, only to demand state intervention when the consequences become clear?

And ultimately, are children today suffering from a lack of good parenting — or is this simply a new challenge that society is still learning how to handle?

We’ll be discussing it all, live from 12pm.