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THOMAS’S
TIMES
Social Media to be Banned for Under-16s
Jamie T, Year 7, Student Journalist On Monday the 15th of June, Kier Starmer announced the banning of social media for under 16 year olds in the UK. The government aims to get the ban in place by next year. Influenced by countries like Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia - who have also legislated this - Starmer stated, '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'. Inevitably, this was met with a variety of reactions. Some angry teenagers complained that social media was a primary way to socialise and to share their experiences whilst some others argued that it was a good opportunity to have a break and spend more time focusing on schoolwork and health.
Life of Pi Nate C, Year 12, Maths Science Correspondent
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Pi is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, a very simple idea, but it is found in every little nook and cranny of maths and has been studied for thousands of years. In its nature as an irrational number, it has no pattern and will continue infinitely. The earliest records we have of Pi date to around 1800BC in the Babylonian Empire, when people noticed that a wheel travels about 3 and a bit times its diameter in one full revolution. This small observation started the research for what we now know as Pi. continued page 3
The Environmental Impact of AI Vasi F, Year 11, Student Journalist It is undeniable that today’s constantly growing and evolving society likes to make everyday tasks as simple and efficient as possible. Rapid technological innovation supports this, especially with AI becoming more and more prevalent. More than 1.3 billion people now actively use standalone generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude each month. continued page 2