I Was In The Room When The UK Banned Social Media For Under-16s

I Was In The Room When The UK Banned Social Media For Under-16s

Two days' notice. One email. "Are you available on the 15th at 7:30am to talk to Liz Kendall about some work she's doing." That's how this started. What followed was a morning inside Downing Street watching Keir Starmer announce a ban on social media for every child under 16 in the country — backed by a consultation of 116,000 responses, where 83% of parents said the risks outweigh the benefits and 90% backed a minimum age of 16. In this episode: the announcement itself, the room reaction (the applause said more than the press release did), my exchange with Starmer on Big Tech, Trump, and whether this ban is about his legacy or his leadership week, and then the interview I actually went there for — sitting down with Technology Secretary Liz Kendall to ask about Roblox, parents who are already maxed out, and a question that doesn't get asked enough in rooms like that: what this means for racism online in our community. I'll tell you straight — one of those answers didn't go far enough for me, and I say so. Then we get into the FAQs doing the rounds in every parenting group: is this digital ID by the back door, what's happening with VPNs, why doesn't this cover Roblox, what about dumbphones, and what's the actual timeline. This isn't a press release read back to you. This is what it actually looked like from inside the room. Timestamps: 00:00 — How this access happened 03:10 — Inside Downing Street: the room, the access, the other journalists 07:40 — Starmer's announcement and the room's reaction 12:20 — Starmer takes questions: Big Tech, Trump, the G7, his leadership week 18:00 — Why this ban, not just regulation 22:15 — Liz Kendall: what success looks like 24:50 — Roblox, gaming platforms, and stranger contact 27:30 — Parents who are already stretched thin 30:00 — The question on race and racism online 33:00 — Marvyn's honest take on that answer 36:00 — FAQs: digital ID, VPNs, dumbphones, timeline 42:00 — Final thoughts Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@MarvynHarrison [https://www.youtube.com/@MarvynHarrison] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marvynharrisonpodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/marvynharrisonpodcast/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marvyn_harrison [https://www.tiktok.com/@marvyn_harrison] LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/marvynharrison [https://linkedin.com/in/marvynharrison] Welcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life. In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today. Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond. This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Most Chaotic Food Game Show ever!

Marvyn Harrison is joined by Paige Lewin and Brandeis for the most chaotic, most fun, most opinionated food game show in podcast history. No earnest deep dives today, just diaspora food debates, Caribbean heritage on the line, and Marvyn as the sole judge, jury and point-giver. They go in on: the 30-minute meal that will win over your partner's parents, the Nigeria vs Ghana jollof rice war, the most overrated diaspora dish, hangover food rankings, interracial dating gateway foods, the perfect Caribbean Christmas dinner, and the restaurant you need to take a first date. Funny, warm, and deeply Caribbean this one's for anyone who grew up eating Saturday soup, argues about rice and peas vs jollof, and knows exactly what grandma's cooking sounds like. 🎙 Marvyn Harrison Podcast — out every Wednesday 📻 Acast: https://shows.acast.com/dope-black-dads-podcast 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/discoverwithmarvyn/ 🌐 marvynharrison.co.uk #BlackBritishPodcast #DiasporaFood #JollofRiceDebate #CaribbeanFood #MarvynHarrison #BlackPodcast #FoodDebate #BlackWomen Welcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life. In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today. Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond. This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Nearly 1million people locked out of the economy - Here is what the government is doing about it

The crisis: 948,000 young people aged 16–24 in the UK — 1 in 8 — are not in education, employment, or training. In the US, it's worse. Youth labour force participation has been collapsing since 2000. That's 25 years of failure. The experiment: The UK government is running a £45 million test across 8 regions to find out what actually works. The answer isn't obvious — Switzerland gets 90% of young people certified and employed; Singapore's scholarship model hits 50% participation with strong outcomes. The UK is nowhere near either. The stakes: This isn't a temporary blip. Labour force participation has structurally failed a generation. The £45 million is a bet that it's not too late. Welcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life. In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today. Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond. This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Manosphere Messiahs: Inside the Global Spread of Misogyny Online with BBC's Jacqui Wakefield

BBC investigative reporter Jacqui Wakefield spent a year inside the global manosphere — travelling to Kenya and Mexico to track how Western influencer culture is radicalising young men at scale. She shares what she found in the data when young men handed over their full social media histories, what happened when she confronted influencer Andrew Kibe on camera, and why it's women who ultimately pay the price for content that targets male vulnerability. A necessary conversation for every parent. Episode Summary Jacqui breaks down how the manosphere has gone from niche forums to mainstream culture, how algorithms pipeline boys from gym content to misogyny within weeks, and what parents need to understand about the financial machinery behind these influencers. She also speaks honestly about what a year embedded in these spaces does to you as a woman — and why female reporters in this space see something male reporters don't. Welcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life. In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today. Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond. This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Gareth Southgate: The Crisis Facing Young Men No One Is Talking About

Gareth Southgate joins Marvyn Harrison for a rare and honest conversation about the crisis facing young men and boys in Britain today — and what we actually do about it. In this episode, Gareth discusses his new BBC One documentary Gareth Southgate: Changing the Game for Young Men (airing 8th June, 9pm, BBC One & iPlayer), why he felt compelled to make it after his Dimbleby Lecture, what a good man actually looks like in 2025, and how we reach the men already left behind. They also play a game — building the blueprint of a man using real figures and real traits. Muhammad Ali features. So does a grandfather polishing his shoes. This is not a manosphere conversation. This is the one underneath it. Welcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life. In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today. Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond. This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.