"We need to better protect children from social media. All options are on the table in relation to what further protections we can put in place whether that's under-16s on social media or an issue I am very concerned about, under-fives and screen time. Children are turning up age four at reception having spent far too much time on screens."
"social media could help with connections and a sense of belonging but also came with risks including the harm of addling the developing mind of young people as well as exposure to really sinister, extreme stuff. No one would dispute when I was growing up that being able to use tools like hammers or a saw was a good skill set for us to learn as young people. What would never happen was a nursery or primary school child being given a box of nails and left unattended with it. That's kind of what we have done with mobile phones."
More than 100,000 people have contacted local MPs after Smartphone Free Childhood launched an email campaign calling for reasonable, age-appropriate boundaries and an Australia-style ban on social media for under-16s. The prime minister said the government is watching Australia and that all options remain on the table, including limits for under-16s and attention to under-fives' screen time. The health secretary asked Jonathan Haidt to brief officials and warned that social media can foster belonging but also risks addling developing minds and exposing children to extreme content. Campaigners report very young children arriving at school after excessive screen exposure.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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