At Campaign’s advertising industry event Influencer360 event this week, Bauer Media UK’s Managing Director of Advertising, Simon Kilby and campaigner for online safety, Esther Ghey, delivered a powerful call for the advertising industry to take greater responsibility in addressing the harms of social media for young people.

In a session hosted by Bauer Media’s Head of Commercial Marketing George Butler, the pair discussed recent headlines calling for a move towards raising the minimum age of access to social media to 16 years of age – something the majority of attendees agreed with, following an audience poll.

Ghey highlighted the lack of accountability from tech platforms. She noted that when given the opportunity to hear directly from companies, “there was absolutely no recognition at all that their platform is harming children in any way.” Her campaigning is rooted in the experiences of her daughter Brianna, who was murdered in 2023 and whose final years were marked by “mental health problems, isolation and complete addiction to a smartphone”, adding that her daughter’s mental health problems were “exacerbated by what she was accessing online.”

Ghey is now advocating for systemic change, including a social media age limit of 16
and stronger protections in schools.

Kilby echoed these concerns from both a professional and personal perspective, describing the rise in youth mental health challenges as “really disturbing.” He referenced the growing body of evidence linking smartphone and social media adoption to what has been described as a “rewiring of childhood.”

Central to the discussion was the role of advertisers. Kilby was clear: “Advertising is funding these platforms – and with that comes responsibility”. He urged brands to consider not just return on investment, but “ROI for society.”

Both Kilby and Ghey emphasised that change will require collective action. Ghey called on the industry to “not invest in advertisements on platforms that could be harmful” and to “use your voice to back campaigns.” Kilby reinforced that while regulation may take time, “money talks,” positioning advertisers as a critical lever for change.

The session concluded with a unified message: meaningful progress depends on listening – to young people, parents, and campaigners – and acting decisively to create a safer digital environment.