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Senior medical professionals in the UK have equated social media use among young people with smoking in terms of its threat to health. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, in its response to a government consultation on social media usage by children under 16, advocates that healthcare providers should routinely inquire about their young patients’ screen time and social media habits. Despite this stance, the wider scientific community has yet to reach a consensus on whether overall screen time is detrimental to children’s well-being.
The government, represented by Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, is approaching the conclusion of a consultation process that will lead to new regulations around social media use for under-16s by the end of the year. Among the options being evaluated is the possibility of banning social media for children, similar to measures implemented in Australia. Kendall confirmed that an official response to the consultation is expected during the summer, with concrete steps to be introduced before the year’s end. However, opinions remain divided among campaigners about whether an outright ban is the most effective solution for protecting children online.
Since March, the government has sought input from parents and children about potential safety measures, including app curfews and more stringent age verification systems, trials of which have taken place in a number of UK households. Kendall emphasized the government’s commitment to comprehensive action, stating, “The question isn’t whether we’re going to act – we will.” She added that the scope of the government’s review includes examining a broad spectrum of issues and platform features that impact children, extending the focus to services such as Roblox and Discord, which are not covered under Australia’s current restrictions. “We’ve got to get this right, and we’ve got to make it last,” she remarked, stressing the importance of careful policy design.
Highlighting the health risks associated with social media, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges pointed out harms like physical and mental health problems linked to exposure to extreme online violence. The Academy recommends establishing guidance for doctors and healthcare workers to identify signs of inappropriate or harmful social media use in children and to systematically record these incidences to better understand their prevalence. Suggested interventions include restrictions such as night-time curfews on app usage and disabling features like auto-play and infinite scrolling. Public consultations also addressed concerns about children’s access to AI chatbots and reinforced the need for stricter enforcement of age verification. Families affected by these issues, including bereaved parents like Ellen Roome, who lost her son aged 14, are actively urging the government to raise the minimum age for social media access to 16 to ensure safer online environments
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