Smartphones and Social Media: Children

Murray Dowey, a 16-year-old student from Dunblane, took his own life after being a victim of sextortion via Instagram. Alyn Smith, speaking on behalf of Murray's parents, emphasises the need for action against such incidents and raises concerns about the lack of protections implemented by tech companies and effective regulation. He supports restricting smartphone access in schools to address distraction and mental health issues but opposes a complete ban for under-16s. Smith urges Ofcom to push forward with robust age checks, safer algorithms, and content moderation.

Asked about the need for academia, the NHS and health professionals to look more at physical implications of smartphone use on the body beyond sleep disturbances. Jenkyns questions the impact of pushing a paperless society in Parliament and industry on children's use of technology. She raises personal concerns about her own addiction to devices, suggesting that parents cannot effectively tell their children off when they are addicted themselves.

Congratulated the hon. Friend on their work and thanked everyone associated with it, highlighting the Online Safety Act 2023 which provides for imprisonment for tech bosses who wilfully make mistakes.

Congratulated her hon. Friend on securing the debate and raised concerns about children of tech moguls being shielded from the influences discussed, suggesting this is both telling and damning.

Chris Bryant commended Miriam Cates for raising issues about children's use of smartphones and social media. He highlighted the challenges young people face due to technological changes, including increased access to violent content and the impact of social media algorithms. Bryant stressed the importance of mental health support in schools and advocated for better regulation of social media companies.

This issue extends beyond addiction for some and involves dependency and harm for many. The speaker emphasises the need for tech companies to be held accountable and ensure protections are in place, and suggests that Ofcom should use its powers to enforce these measures.

Asked if there was a way to address the peer pressure parents face when their child does not have a smartphone, highlighting the challenge of protecting children from such influences. Hughes agrees that despite some proposed improvements like the Online Safety Act, the issue is urgent and requires action to protect children from harmful content on social media platforms. He supports raising the legal age for accessing these platforms.

Apologising for his late arrival, Jim Shannon highlighted the concerning rise in suicide figures among those aged 16 to 24 in Northern Ireland from 2014 to 2016. He noted that one in ten children in Northern Ireland suffer from anxiety and depression, which is 25% higher than other UK jurisdictions.

Mr. Gullis, a former secondary school teacher and Minister for School Standards, criticises the lack of enforcement of smartphone policies in schools despite government guidance since 2010. He highlights that only 11% of schools enforce phone-free rules during school hours, suggesting that strict policies like those at Michaela school lead to better educational outcomes. Mr. Gullis also expresses concern about the detrimental effects of smartphones on handwriting skills and mental health due to online bullying.

Ms Blackman highlighted the importance of parental and child education regarding online safety, noting a significant knowledge gap among parents who did not grow up with internet technology. She advocated for 'safety by design' in apps and devices to protect children from inappropriate content and harmful activities such as livestreaming. She criticised the delay and insufficiency of the Online Safety Act, suggesting that Ofcom needs stronger regulatory powers to enforce age assurance and control over app stores.

Ms. Nici urged immediate action from the Department for Education to implement mobile phone bans in schools, nurseries, and colleges, emphasizing the detrimental impact of excessive screen time on children's social development and interaction with their environment.

Concerned about the unregulated online world accessible through smartphones, Neale Hanvey highlighted disturbing incidents involving young people accessing violent content and predators in chatrooms. He emphasised the need for proper regulation to dismantle tools used by harmful individuals.

Mr. O'Brien highlighted the growing concerns over the impact of smartphones and social media on children's mental health and well-being. He cited studies showing that early exposure to such devices correlates with worse outcomes for children. He called for a consultation on these issues, which was promised but not yet released, and asked when it would be available.

Proposed banning smartphones in schools and social media up to age 16, advocating for personal responsibility among adults as role models for children.

As a mother of four and grandmother, Rachel Maclean acknowledged the challenges parents face with internet safety but stressed the moral case for government intervention. She highlighted the work of Smartphone Free Childhood and asked about the impact of early mobile phone use on special educational needs in children.

Mr Jayawardena, a father of three young children, expressed concern about the detrimental effects of smartphones and social media on children's physical health, academic performance, and mental wellbeing. He cited studies from the University of Cambridge, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Bristol, and UCL which showed negative impacts such as decreased academic achievement, delayed emotional maturity, higher levels of depressive symptoms, sleep disturbances, obesity, and vision problems.

Ms. Baillie expressed concern about the addictive nature of smartphones and their impact on children's education, citing a Policy Exchange report that equates having phones in schools to bringing televisions or other communication devices into classrooms during her youth. She highlighted the issue of cyberbullying and the need for stricter measures such as ID verification options online.

Mrs Ford focused on the impact of smartphones and social media on very young children, noting that 90% of a child's brain develops before age five. She highlighted concerns raised by a primary school headteacher about children losing their ability to concentrate due to rapid scrolling habits. Additionally, she mentioned the issue of child sexual abuse content and proposed a ten-minute rule Bill to introduce point-of-sale controls for phones intended for children. The hon. Friend is looking at all options to keep children safe. On the issue of preventing children from uploading sexual content, will the Minister look into putting controls at system level so that a phone cannot upload such content when initiated by a child?