There is no denying that social media is a double-edged sword. While it can be life-transforming for those with limited opportunities, it also has the power to negatively impact lives, especially children. Social media may have a detrimental effect on growing children. Here is what British doctors have to say about social media and its impact on children. Read on to find out more.
What Experts Say
On Tuesday, senior British doctors urged lawmakers to address the harm that excessive screen time is causing to young people. They emphasized that social media ranks alongside smoking as a danger to children. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges detailed the impact of social media on children in a submission to the government's consultation on protecting children online, which closed on Tuesday. The submission stated, "It ranks alongside smoking and wearing seatbelts in cars as a unifying force for the medical profession." The body, representing the UK and Ireland's 23 royal medical colleges and faculties, added, "There can be few issues that have united clinicians so resoundingly in recent years as the impact that unfettered exposure to tech and devices is currently having on children and young people's health." More than half of the 132 doctors surveyed reported seeing at least one case of health harm related to tech and devices every week, and over a third saw evidence of harm multiple times a week. Harms ranged from physical injuries, such as those caused by replicating acts of extreme pornography, to mental health impacts, like trauma from witnessing violence online.
The Way Ahead
Britain is consulting on restricting children's access to social media, including a possible ban for under-16s, as well as curfews, app time limits, and curbs on what it has described as addictive design features. Australia became the first country to ban social media for children under 16 last year, with European countries considering similar measures. Britain's online safety law requires social media companies to take measures to protect children from illegal and harmful online content, but the government has committed to going further. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall told BBC News, "The question isn't whether we are going to act; we will, whether that is a ban on social media for the under-16s or restrictions on key features and functions." Hundreds of British families are testing social media bans, curfews, and app time limits to see how they impact children's sleep, family life, and schoolwork. Experts are divided on how effective a total ban would be, while a group of young people in London recently told Reuters they were opposed to restrictions.
