RCGP responds to UK consultation on under-16 social media ban

Responding to the UK consultation on restricting social media use for under-16s, highlighting the growing health harms of the digital environment and the need for evidence-based, child-centred action at a population level, Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said:

“GPs and our teams are seeing the serious impact of digital harms – including those associated with social media – on the health and wellbeing of children and young people. We are seeing an impact on mental health, sleep, neurodevelopment, behaviour, social relationships and family functioning, and it is a major cause for concern.

“It is vital that the health impact of growing up in the digital environment is addressed at a population level by policymakers, regulators and technology companies, not left solely to families and clinicians. This review is a welcome step forward in a tackling a growing public health crisis.

“Any plan to manage online harms on children and young people needs to be evidence-based, so a review is a sensible approach as we consider how best to protect children’s health and development. It is not for the College to say if an outright ban on social media will achieve these aims, but we have been clear that we must take a preventative, child-centred approach that prioritises system-level change as well as greater support for parents and guidance for GPs.”