A public health emergency? Protecting children from online harms

Late last year, Dr Rowena Christmas and Dr Shamila Wanninayake brought a motion to RCGP Council on the need to protect child and adolescent wellbeing in the digital age. 

It came amidst a heated national conversation following high profile cases of serious harms linked to online activity, and media portrayals of its tragic impact in dramas, such as Netflix’s Adolescence. 

With general practice often the first point of contact for worried parents, the two GPs argued that the College should recognise the harm being caused to children and young people as a result of too much screen time and exposure to harmful content online. 

Their case was compelling, and College Council agreed, passing the motion convincingly. Many members shared experiences from their own practice, including of self-harm influenced by online content, sexual exploitation via social media platforms, and young people becoming isolated in their bedrooms with minimal real-world social interaction.  

The resulting position statement recognises digital exposure as a contributing factor in many conditions and behaviours, including anxiety, low mood, self-harm, disordered eating, sleep disturbance, attention difficulties, safeguarding concerns and school avoidance. 

It makes the case that digital harms should be understood as a population health issue, not individual choice or parental responsibility, and emphasises the need for preventative, child-centred approach, which includes: