The Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle, has commissioned new research into the impact of social media and smartphone use on children, signalling that the UK may follow Australia’s lead in considering a social media ban for under-16s.
Australia is pressing ahead with plans to prohibit social media access for all individuals under 16, regardless of parental consent. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared earlier this month: “Social media is doing harm to our kids and I’m calling time on it.”
Kyle stated he is “looking very closely” at Australia’s proposal and remains “open-minded” about implementing a similar measure in the UK. A 2019 review by the Chief Medical Officer found insufficient evidence to draw strong conclusions about the links between social media, smartphones, and children’s mental health.
Believing that technology companies possess unshared research on the issue, Kyle’s department is initiating a six-month study, alongside a multiyear project, to “help direct future government action.”
The call for swifter action has intensified among campaigners and parents, especially following the publication of The Anxious Generation by American social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. The book attributes the rise in childhood anxiety and depression to smartphone usage, though some academics have challenged its conclusions.
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