Digital harms and children - RCGP position

January 2026

The Royal College of General Practitioners recognises the growing impact of digital environments on the health, wellbeing and development of children and young people.

In daily practice, GPs and our teams observe the cumulative effects of digital harms over time, including impacts on mental health, sleep, neurodevelopment, behaviour, social relationships and family functioning. GPs increasingly encounter digital exposure as a contributory factor in anxiety, low mood, self-harm, disordered eating, sleep disturbance, attention difficulties, safeguarding concerns and school avoidance.

RCGP affirms that digital harms should be understood as a population health issue, not simply a matter of individual choice or parental responsibility.

Children are developing within digital systems designed to maximise engagement rather than wellbeing, and the burden of harm falls disproportionately on vulnerable groups, widening existing health inequalities.

RCGP therefore supports a preventative, child-centred approach to digital harms, grounded in the following principles:

• Early recognition and prevention - Digital harms should be considered routinely in health assessments, safeguarding work and mental health presentations, with age-appropriate enquiry and guidance.
• Support for parents and carers - Families need consistent, evidence-informed advice that acknowledges the challenges of modern parenting rather than assigning blame.
• Professional education and guidance - GPs and primary care teams require training, clinical tools and time to address digital harms effectively within consultations.
• System-level responsibility - The responsibility for protecting children’s wellbeing must sit with policymakers, regulators and technology companies, not solely with families or clinicians.
• Equity and inclusion - Responses to digital harms must recognise and mitigate their disproportionate impact on children facing poverty, neurodiversity, disability or social adversity.

RCGP commits to working in collaboration with colleagues across the health system and to continuing professional leadership on this issue reflecting the realities faced daily in general practice and advocating for policies that protect children’s health and development.

Digital harms represent a modern determinant of health. Addressing them is essential to safeguarding children, supporting families, and ensuring that the health system remains preventative, compassionate and fit for the future.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Rowena Christmas and Shamilla Wanninayake who proposed this statement as a motion to UK Council in November 2025.