Teen DJ says social media 'pivotal' to career

A teenage DJ has said that without being exposed to new techniques and sounds on different social media platforms, his career would not have taken off.

Sam Hughes-Webb, 16, from Warwickshire performs as Sam Seven and hosts the Wasted Club, described as "the UK's first sustainable club night for under-18s on a mission to regenerate rave culture".

He said his initial reaction to the proposals put forward by the government was shock and surprise.

"The reason I've been able to reach as far as I've been able to reach has been through social media. To do that organically without it, would have been incredibly difficult" he said.

On Monday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he intended to ban under-16s from social media apps like YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, X and Instagram by next spring, saying the move was aimed at protecting young people from harmful content online.

"I am not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children, and that is why this ban must happen, and why this ban will happen," he said.

However, Hughes-Webb said if the ban had been in place when he was starting to develop his career as a DJ, he would not have been able to set up his own business.

"I think back to when I was 14 and 15 and how I was using social media and how pivotal is was in terms of career and connecting with people, I think I was lucky that I've never been particularly exposed [to harmful content].

"There are so many things that really benefit young people on social media. If we focus too much on the negative, you can sometimes lose out on those positives."

He said social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram had been crucial to him setting up Wasted, his own club nights business.

"It's a tool for mass reach and it give you this incredible ability to amplify your message.

"As much as there is lots of harm of social media, there are so many ways you can counter that with really good positive role models and just general messaging around the changing of culture."

He also said that as well as being exposed to new sounds and mixing techniques via platforms like YouTube, without access to them when he was starting out, his career might have been over before it had begun.

"I think the issue with banning it, you in some way unintentionally say you aren't able to do all of this until you're 16, whether it's being a young entrepreneur, to DJing, to being an actor.

"How do you share your ideas, your creativity, wider?"

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