'Parents are worried about screen time': Social media ban concerns flagged by MP
A West Yorkshire MP is sharing concerns about the impact of social media on young people as part of the Government’s plans about whether to impose a ban for under-16s.
Jade Botterill hosted an event with children and parents in Horbury and plans to share her findings with the Department for Education and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to support children and parents to stay safe online.
Nationally, more than 235,000 people have written to their MP calling for action after the government announced it would consult on whether it should impose a social media ban for under-16s.
She said: “So many parents in our community told me they’re worried about screentime, and can often feel unsupported in the face of social media giants.
“I know the government takes this seriously and is taking action to protect children and support parents.
“It’s important to me that local families are part of this process, so I thank everyone who came down to share their views.
“I’m looking forward to sharing the concerns of local parents directly with the government so their voices are heard.”
Since July 2024, the Government has implemented and strengthened the Online Safety Act, making ‘cyberflashing’ and the creation of ‘deepfake’ in intimate imaging without consent a priority offence.
It recently published research that suggested excessive screen time could be getting in the way of children developing the social, emotional and language skills they need to be ready for school.
Work is ongoing with the Children’s Commissioner to deliver practical guidance on screen time for under-fives, which will be published in April.
Last month, the government also announced a consultation on banning social media for under-16s, as well as restrictions on addictive features such as ‘streaks’ and ‘infinite scrolling’, improved age checks, and implementing phone curfews to avoid excessive use.