Streeting calls for ‘action’ on calls to ban under-16s from social media
Health secretary calls for ‘action’ on under-16s social media ban debate
- Wes Streeting, the health secretary, has called for "action" on the debate around banning under-16s from social media, expressing concerns about its impact on young people's health and life chances.
- Streeting highlighted issues such as "doom-scrolling", cyberbullying, body image problems, and grooming as reasons for his concern, noting the Prime Minister's interest in the debate.
- Sir Keir Starmer has so far resisted an outright ban, stating that Labour is monitoring the effects of a similar ban implemented in Australia last month.
- While the UK's Online Safety Act introduced mandatory age verification for adult content, the government has not yet implemented a full social media ban for under-16s, despite Kemi Badenoch pledging such restrictions if the Conservatives win.
- Concerns are echoed by Ofsted, which noted social media "chipping away" at children's attention spans, and a NASUWT survey where nearly three in five teachers linked social media to increased pupil misbehaviour.