If We Take Away Social Media, What Replaces It?

The recent Government announcement of plans to restrict social media access for under-16s has reignited an important debate about the role technology plays in the lives of young people.

Much of the discussion has focused on the potential harms of social media and how best to protect young people online. These are important conversations to have. However, as I reflected on the debate, I found myself asking a different question.

If we reduce the amount of time young people spend online, what do we want them to spend more time doing instead?

That question was brought into sharp focus when I recently read an article from the Outward Bound Trust titled If We Take Away Social Media, What Do We Give Back?

It's a simple question, but an incredibly powerful one.

Too often, discussions about young people focus on what they should do less of. Less screen time. Less social media. Less time online.

Yet far less attention is given to what should take its place.

This week, while visiting Binic in Brittany as part of the Fowey-Binic twinning exchange, I was reminded that young people do not necessarily need convincing to put their phones down. What they need is something worth looking up for.

Our hosts introduced us to a local youth club called Capacité. Walking into the building, one thing immediately stood out. There was not a phone in sight.

The young people gathered there were talking, laughing, playing games and spending time together. Some were meeting British visitors whose language they did not speak. Our own young people arrived with understandable concerns about communication and the potential language barrier.

Within minutes, none of that seemed to matter.

A football appeared. Board games emerged. Conversations developed through gestures, laughter and curiosity. Young people who had never met before quickly found common ground.

They discovered what young people have always discovered when given the opportunity: connection does not require a screen.

Although the setting was very different, many of the ingredients felt familiar. The sense of belonging, shared purpose and genuine human connection mirrored much of what we see aboard Helen Mary R through Sail Training.

Every year, we watch young people step aboard with phones in their pockets, concerned about fitting in and, sometimes, with anxieties about the challenges ahead. Within hours, something begins to change. The demands of life at sea leave little room for passive consumption. Sails need hoisting. Courses need steering. Meals need to be prepared. Watches need keeping.

More importantly, young people discover that they are needed.

Their contribution matters to the safety, success and well-being of the whole crew. They form friendships, overcome challenges and gain confidence through shared experiences. The focus shifts away from the digital world and towards the people and environment around them.

The remarkable thing is that this rarely happens because phones are restricted. It happens because young people become immersed in something more engaging, more meaningful and more rewarding.

They build friendships, confidence and resilience through shared experiences rather than shared algorithms.

Sail Training organisations alone engage thousands of young people through programmes that combine adventure, responsibility, teamwork, accredited learning and personal development. They provide opportunities for young people to discover capabilities they may never have realised they possessed, whilst developing the confidence and resilience needed to navigate life beyond the voyage itself.

Many organisations operate on limited resources, supported by volunteers and a patchwork of grants and donations. Yet they consistently deliver outcomes that policymakers say they want to see: improved confidence, stronger mental wellbeing, teamwork, leadership, communication skills, aspiration and social connection.

Perhaps the question for the Government is not how to reduce social media use, but how to increase access to the experiences that naturally compete with it.

Too often, youth services, outdoor education and community organisations are viewed as desirable additions when funding allows. Yet the outcomes they deliver suggest they should be viewed differently. They are part of the social infrastructure that helps young people thrive.

We spend considerable time and resources discussing mental health, social mobility, educational attainment, employability, community cohesion and youth disengagement. These are often treated as separate challenges, managed by different departments and addressed through different policies.

Yet organisations working with young people through adventure, challenge and shared experiences are often delivering positive outcomes across all of these areas simultaneously.

There is also a strong economic case for greater investment. Too often, funding for youth services, outdoor education and experiential learning is viewed as a discretionary expense. In reality, it can be seen as a preventative investment. Every young person who develops greater confidence, resilience, social skills and a stronger sense of belonging is potentially less likely to require more costly interventions later in life. While no single programme can solve every challenge, creating opportunities for young people to grow, connect and thrive represents an investment not only in individuals, but in stronger communities and a healthier society.

The government has an opportunity to think differently.

Rather than seeing youth services, outdoor learning, Sail Training and community projects as separate activities, there is an opportunity to create a more joined-up national strategy that recognises their collective value. Such an approach would not only support young people's wellbeing but also help develop the confidence, resilience, communication skills and sense of belonging that society increasingly needs.

Importantly, we do not need to build something entirely new.

The organisations already exist.

The expertise already exists.

The evidence already exists.

What is often missing is the long-term recognition and investment needed to make these opportunities accessible to every young person, regardless of background or circumstance.

What struck me in Binic was that the youth club was not viewed as an optional extra. It was clearly valued as part of the community itself. It made me wonder what could be achieved if we took a similarly long-term view of youth provision in the UK.

The young people we met in Binic reminded me that connection is remarkably simple. Give young people a welcoming space, a shared activity and the freedom to engage with one another, and they will often do the rest themselves.

As we left the youth centre that afternoon, I was struck by how ordinary the experience had been. No special technology. No complex programme. Just young people talking, laughing, playing games and building friendships.

Yet perhaps that is exactly the point.

The debate should not simply be about taking young people away from social media. It should be about giving them meaningful opportunities to engage with the world around them.

Whether through youth clubs like the one we visited in Binic, community groups, outdoor learning or Sail Training voyages, the principle is the same. Young people thrive when they are given responsibility, challenge, belonging and the opportunity to contribute.

The question was never really whether young people spend too much time online.

The question is whether we are providing enough real-world opportunities that inspire them to put their phones down in the first place.