Britain should raise the digital age of consent | Letters

"From disrupted sleep and shorter attention spans to reduced social skills and exposure to radicalised and extreme views, children and young people are being exploited by big tech executives who are making billions as a result. Parents and teachers see the damage being done on a daily basis. Students are arriving at school exhausted, anxious and already overwhelmed by what they've seen on social media."

"Where Denmark is going, the UK must follow. We are calling on our government to raise the age of access to social media to 16, create space on the school curriculum to teach digital literacy, and introduce a windfall tax on social media companies to pay for mental health services that go some way to undoing the damage they have inflicted on children and young people in this country."

Children in the UK face significant harm from social media, including disrupted sleep, shorter attention spans, reduced social skills, exposure to radicalised and extreme views, and compounded anxiety. Seventy percent of the public believe social media is robbing children of their childhood and support raising the digital age of consent from 13 to 16. Students are arriving at school exhausted and overwhelmed by online content. The UK should follow Denmark by restricting underage access, raise the age of social media access to 16, introduce digital literacy in the school curriculum, and levy a windfall tax on social platforms to fund mental health services.

Read at www.theguardian.com