Entertainment

UK, France consider social media ban for youths

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7 months ago

January 19, 2026

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Countries including France and Britain are considering following Australia’s lead by banning children and some teenagers from using social media, but experts are still locked in a debate over the effectiveness of the move.

Supporters of a ban warn that action needs to be taken to tackle deteriorating mental health among young people, but others say the evidence is inconclusive and want a more nuanced approach.

Australia last month became the first nation to prohibit people under-16s from using immensely popular and profitable social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok and YouTube.

France is currently debating bills for a similar ban for under-15s, including one championed by President Emmanuel Macron.

The Guardian reported last week that Jonathan Haidt, an American psychologist and supporter of the Australian ban, had been asked to speak to UK government officials.

Haidt argued in his bestselling 2024 book “The Anxious Generation” that too much time looking at screens — particularly social media — was rewiring children’s brains and “causing an epidemic of mental illness”.

While influential among politicians, the book has proven controversial in academic circles.

Canadian psychologist Candice Odgers wrote in a review of the book that the “scary story” Haidt was telling was “not supported by science”.

One of the main areas of disagreement has been determining exactly how much effect using social media has on young people’s mental health.

Michael Noetel, a researcher at the University of Queensland in Australia, told AFP that “small effects across billions of users add up”.

There is “plenty of evidence” that social media does harm to teens, he said, adding that some were demanding an unrealistic level of proof.

“My read is that Haidt is more right than his harshest critics admit, and less right than his book implies,” Noetel said.

Given the potential benefit of a ban, he considered it “a bet worth making”.

After reviewing the evidence, France’s public health watchdog ANSES ruled last week that social media had numerous detrimental effects for adolescents particularly girls while not being the sole reason for their declining mental health.

Everything in moderation?

Noetel led research published in Psychological Bulletin last year that reviewed more than 100 studies worldwide on the links between screens and the psychological and emotional problems suffered by children and adolescents.

The findings suggested a vicious cycle.

Excessive screen time particularly using social media and playing video games was associated with problems. This distress then drove youngsters to look at their screens even more.

However, other researchers are wary of a blanket ban.

Ben Singh from the University of Adelaide tracked more than 100,000 young Australians over three years for a study published in JAMA Pediatrics.

The study found that the young people with the worst wellbeing were those who used social media heavily more than two hours a day or not at all. It was teens who used social networks moderately that fared the best.

“The findings suggest that both excessive restriction and excessive use can be problematic,” Singh told AFP.

Again, girls suffered the most from excessive use. Being entirely deprived of social media was found to be most detrimental for boys in their later teens.

Appallingly toxic

French psychiatrist Serge Tisseron is among those who have long warned about the huge threat that screens pose to health.

“Social media is appallingly toxic,” he told AFP.

But he feared a ban would easily be overcome by tech-savvy teens, at the same time absolving parents of responsibility.

“In recent years, the debate has become extremely polarised between an outright ban or nothing at all,” he said, calling for regulation that walks a finer line.

Another option could be to wait and see how the Australian experiment pans out.

“Within a year, we should know much more about how effective the Australian social media ban has been and whether it led to any unintended consequences,” Cambridge University researcher Amy Orben said.

Last week, Australia’s online safety watchdog said that tech companies have already blocked 4.7 million accounts for under-16s.

AFP

Entertainment

BBNaija: Martins becomes first housemate to be evicted

Published

2 days ago

August 10, 2026

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Big Brother Naija housemate, Martins Iyeh, has become the first contestant to leave the Season 11 of the reality show.

Martins’ eviction was announced during Sunday’s live show by host Ebuka Obi-Uchendu.

The 30-year-old only spent two weeks inside Biggie’s house.

But he was now evicted after votes by viewers for the nominated housemates were compiled.

Martins’ departure means there are now 24 contestants left on the reality show.

The season, themed “Everything Is For The Taking” and also known as “Show Ya Sef”, has a record N160m prize package at stake, including N100m cash and an SUV.

Entertainment

Temitope Osoba Fiancee Reveals Real Cause Of Fiance’s Death

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2 days ago

August 10, 2026

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Prophet Itunu Onadeko, the fiancé of late Nollywood actress Temitope Osoba, has said she died at a police station in Ikorodu, Lagos State, dismissing claims that her death was caused by breast cancer, poisoning or maltreatment.

Onadeko made the disclosure in an interview with the Celestial Reality Check (Media Investigative Unit of the CCC) on Saturday.

He said he was informed about Osoba’s death by an unidentified person who called him around midnight.

“It was a random person that called me around 12 am that she died in a police station in Ikorodu,” he said.

Onadeko, who is the Shepherd-in-charge of CCC Onibuore Cathedral, Bogije, Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State, said he did not know the particular police station where Osoba died but reported himself at a nearby station.

He said Osoba had gone to see one Mrs Kehinde Osoba, who he said also runs a church, shortly before her death.

“She had insisted to see Mrs Kehinde Osoba, she also has a church, although she said she wanted to see me too. When they left for there, I told them that I wasn’t chanced to go that day because of church programmes.

“The hairdresser that Tope was sleeping in her place was the person that went with her. We maintained communication and she even posted ‘Ogo tun tun’ until I heard that she died in the police station,” he said.

The prophet also denied knowing the exact police station where Osoba died.

“Although I don’t know the police station she died but I reported myself in a nearby one.”

His claim comes amid reports and social media speculation linking Osoba’s death to her previous battle with breast cancer and alleged maltreatment by her fiancé’s family.

Osoba had publicly spoken about her cancer experience, including her treatment and surgery. In 2024, she announced her return to the public after the experience, describing the period as one that led to her healing, growth and empowerment.

However, Onadeko insisted that although Osoba had battled cancer and undergone surgery, the illness was not responsible for her death.

“When I first met her, after I did a redemption prayer for her, she told me she wants to do a surgery on cancer. I prayed for her. In fact the day, she planned for her surgery, she did a skit with Boda Wasiu and then we moved to Evacare Hospital,” he said.

Onadeko also denied allegations that he had access to money donated to Osoba for her surgery or used the money to build his church.

“Who has an evidence that the money she got for her surgery is N30m? It wasn’t my account they sent the money to, it was hers. And I didn’t use the money to build church as rumoured. What I know is that people gave her money including Mike Adenuga who offered her a cheque. I never had access to her money.

“I met Tope like two years ago and the church has been there since 20 years ago. The church is complete before she even joined us. It has been roofed and painted,” he said.

The prophet further denied claims that Osoba was prevented from driving her car, saying she drove it herself when she travelled to Iperu shortly before her death.

“She drove the car out herself. She was going to Iperu one Sunday. I don’t know Iperu that she went to neither do I know who’s she going to meet there but I think it is her mother side,” he said.

According to him, Osoba had reservations about visiting her maternal family because she believed they had not treated her well. He said he encouraged her to maintain contact with them because they were planning to get married.

Onadeko also said Osoba struggled with smoking and that he had encouraged her to stop.

“She was dealing with smoking habit. And I wanted her to leave it. All the church members know about her smoking habit,” he said.

He also denied allegations that Osoba was maltreated before her death, including claims that faeces or urine was poured on her body as punishment for allegedly stealing biscuits.

“When we were living together, we borrow each other money. She bought gold for herself and me. But she eventually sold them and we both spent the money, there has never been a time that we were under duress.

“We never rented an apartment, the house she was living is her uncle’s house. After the surgery, she gave her uncle N1m when he insisted that he gave her something at least for staying in the house,” he maintained.

The prophet also dismissed the allegation that Osoba drank poison before her death.

He said the actress had left the church about three weeks before her death and that he contacted one of her uncles, identified as Taiwo, after learning of her death.

“She’s left the church about three weeks ago before her death. Since she died, I didn’t call any of her family. It was one of his uncles, Taiwo that I called but he was really mad at me and insisted that he doesn’t want to speak with me,” he said.

Temitope Osoba died on Wednesday at the age of 40.

She is set to be laid to rest on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at Iperu Remo, Ogun State.

However, the claims made by Onadeko had not been independently verified as of the time of filing this report, and the exact circumstances or cause of Osoba’s death had not been established.