Nation’s Teenagers Prepare For Imminent Social Media Bans By Switching Over To BBM

EFFIE BATEMAN | Lifestyle | Contact

In a bid to stay one step ahead of government-imposed social media bans, the nation’s teenagers are reportedly arming themselves with the most powerful piece of retro technology known to man – the BlackBerry.

Once the hallmark of mid-2000s business executives, the BlackBerry has made an unexpected comeback as Gen Z’s last line of defense against a future without TikTok.

This comes as the government will be rolling out an under 16s ban for social media platforms this December, which is to include Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

It is still not known exactly how this ban will roll out, but similar social media bans in Europe have required users to prove their age by providing proof of age via ID, or by using facial estimation tools.

Underage users will have their existing accounts deactivated or removed.

However multiple platforms, including YouTube and TikTok, can still be accessed without creating an account.

Nonetheless, Gen Z are not deterred by this upcoming ban and have instead taken it as an opportunity to finally get off the internet and experience reality, also known as ‘touching grass.’

As more and more young people grow disillusioned by the constant onslaught of bad news and divisive culture wars easily accessed on their phones, it comes as no surprise that the humble Blackberry would make a comeback.

The Advocate theorises that the king of the brick phones – the Nokia 3310 – will be next in line.

More to come.