In a move aimed at addressing growing concerns over the impact of social media on young people, the UK government has announced plans to produce guidance for parents on appropriate screen time for children aged 5 to 16. This comes amidst a push by campaigners, including high-profile figures, to ban social media access for under-16s.
The announcement was made by Liz Kendall, the technology secretary, who stated that the government’s consultation on the issue would be completed within a few months, with a firm position expected by the summer. Proposals under consideration include overnight curfews and breaks to prevent “doom scrolling” behaviour.
Alongside the guidance for parents of 5-to-16-year-olds, the government is also expected to publish advice for parents of under-5s in April.
The move follows a letter signed by a group of prominent figures, including actor Hugh Grant and Esther Ghey, the mother of Brianna Ghey who was murdered in 2023. The letter, addressed to the leaders of the three main political parties, urges them to back an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that would ban social media access for under-16s.
The letter cites a poll by the charity Parentkind, which found that 93% of parents believe social media is harmful to children and young people. It states that the proposed amendment “is the clearest and most straightforward proposal that meets the scale of the problem and the urgency parents are demanding.”
Lord Nash, a former schools minister who is leading the push for the amendment, has said that the “time for delay and procrastination is over.” He argues that without swift action to raise the age limit for social media to 16, there is a risk of a “societal catastrophe.”
The proposed amendment has the support of some Labour peers, and if it passes in the House of Lords, it would then be debated in the House of Commons, where 61 Labour MPs have already written to the Prime Minister urging him to implement a ban.
However, the government’s announcement of a consultation has been criticised by some, including film director and technology campaigner Beeban Kidron, who described it as “an insult to parliament” and a move to “appease the government’s backbenchers” rather than a genuine effort to address the issue.
As the debate continues, parents and campaigners will be closely watching the government’s next steps in its efforts to tackle the growing concerns over the impact of social media on children and young people.
