We need to talk about Antoine Semenyo.

A superstar on the pitch, a gentleman off it. It was a privilege to honour him in Parliament for taking out a full-page advert in this paper to thank fans for the memories. He’s a class act.

Bournemouth needs more role models like him, and that means getting young people off their phones and outside in the fresh air. 

Limiting social media scrolling will help, but it is not enough on its own. We also need things for young people to do: upgraded playgrounds, more youth clubs for those too old for the swings, and more and better football pitches. A kick-about can make a world of difference. 

That is why I have been speaking in Parliament in support of a minimum social media age of 16. 

We rightly regulate seatbelts and smoking because we know the risks to children, yet we dawdle when it comes to social media, even as the evidence of harm continues to mount.

The NSPCC reports around 7,000 online sexual communications with children offences last year. 

TikTok’s algorithm is thousands of per cent more likely to push eating disorder videos to children than to adults. 

MI5 warns that extremist ideologies are radicalising children as young as twelve online. I see fake news and Russian bots circulating locally, including in Bournemouth Facebook groups, and I made that clear in a debate last week where I focused on protecting our country.

Big tech firms deny their role in spreading harm. But I’ve had to intervene personally to get TikTok to take down an abusive video of a constituent after they initially said it was fine. It shouldn’t take an MP to protect a local kid from online bullying.

Parents want action. In my recent survey answered by 341 parents, 97 per cent backed raising internet adulthood to 16. 84 per cent support banning smartphones during the school day.

To those who responded, thank you. With your help, I and the Government can act. 

Helena told my survey, children ‘have a supercomputer in their pocket and are given no training on it. It’s like being given a car with no lessons.’

And children agree. During the Safer Phones Bill debate, I shared letters from local pupils, Eleanor and River, who worried about seeing disturbing images they could not “unsee”. St James’s Church of England Primary pupils told me clearly: they want stronger protections.

Since my election, I have visited 17 local schools. Last week I visited three (Malmesbury Park, St Walburga’s and Avonbourne) and local children know their minds. 

I’ll keep listening to local kids and parents. This isn’t about saying “no” to technology, it’s about saying “yes” to childhood. 

Young people thrive in playgrounds,  youth clubs and on the pitch, and we owe it to them to get this right.