In response to the announcement of a social media ban for under 16s announced today, Andy Bell, chief executive of Centre for Mental Health said:
“Instituting a ban on under-16s from some social media platforms is not an effective or sufficient response to a serious public health issue. There is clear evidence of the risks that social media platforms can pose to children and young people’s mental health. These risks come from the content itself, the algorithms that impact what children and young people see, and features that may cause addictive and risk-taking behaviour.
“This requires an effective, considered response that goes to the heart of the issue. That means forcing companies to redesign their products to make them safe for all users. It means not giving unsafe products access to children. And it means implementing and building on the Online Safety Act fully, not timidly.
“We are concerned that a ban will give a false sense of safety to families, leaving loopholes for more dangerous, unregulated platforms to exploit under 16s. Young people are clear that an age-based ban will not work and will not be enough.
“It’s crucial that children are supported to engage safely in the digital world. The Prime Minister acknowledged in this speech that social media has brought benefits to young people. These benefits include digital literacy, mental health support and building meaningful connection. Groups including LGBT+ children and young people, disabled young people, and young carers are often more reliant on online spaces for connection and support.
“As well as making online spaces safe, we urgently need a radical redesign of our physical spaces to make them safer and more welcoming for children and young people. The online world for children and young people has replaced some of these spaces, and turning this around means investing in youth centres, parks, and ensuring that every young person benefits from a trusted adult.
“We must tackle online harms, not with sticking plaster solutions, but by taking sustained action to boost both current and future generations’ mental wellbeing.”
You can read more about these issues in this blog from Efua-Poku-Amanfo, Head of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition.
