Social media has risks but has given us opportunities too, teens say

Social media has risks but has given us opportunities too, teens say9 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleTiffanie TurnbullZiame StewartBudding singer and dancer Ziame worries the policy could bury a generation of creative talentZiame Stewart can barely remember a time he was not performing for social media.The 15-year-old has always loved singing and dancing, and says he has been filming "silly little videos" almost his whole life.He started by making videos for friends and family when he lived abroad as a young child, but his hobby gradually grew into a passion and now potentially a future career.Had Ziame been born a few years earlier, his career might have been in trouble before it even began thanks to the UK's new policy banning under-16s from social media.Although he will be turning 16 just before the new rules come into effect next spring, the budding singer and dancer is still frustrated. He thinks the policy could bury a generation of creative talent.He points to hugely successful artists such as Justin Bieber and Billie Eilish, and his own personal inspiration, British rising star Sekou, who were all discovered on social media as teenagers."Imagine if this ban was put through ages ago - we wouldn't have any of this music," he tells the BBC.Every day, Ziame posts covers of popular hits, snippets of his own original music, and dance videos set to trending tracks on social media. He's convinced that promoting his work, connecting with fans and selling tickets to his shows would be a Herculean task without the platforms."I would not be doing what I'm doing now."While people like Ziame worry the ban could have unintended consequences, proponents insist it is necessary to protect children from harmful content, addictive algorithms, online predators and cyberbullying.Revealing the plans on Monday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "I am not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of o...