The National Children’s Bureau welcomes the government’s decision to launch an in-depth consultation designed to trigger a national conversation with children, parents and civil society about how to improve children’s relationships with mobile phones and social media.
Children’s online lives can expose them to a range of adverse experiences, including bullying and harassment, harmful or age-inappropriate content, unwanted contact, pressure to compare themselves with others, risk taking, sleep disruption and patterns of compulsive use. These risks are well evidenced and can have serious impacts on children’s wellbeing, particularly for those already facing disadvantage or vulnerability.
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At the same time, digital spaces also bring clear benefits. Many children use online platforms to maintain friendships, express creativity, access information, find communities and seek support during difficult periods. Policy responses must therefore be proportionate and grounded in evidence, rather than relying on blunt restrictions.
We look forward to presenting the evidence on what works to keep children safe online. However, it is important to recognise that children are experiencing harm now, and progress has often been slow. Consultations must lead swiftly to concrete action that reflects the strength of the existing evidence base.
We support a measured and evidence-based approach and are concerned about the growing emphasis on blanket bans, including blanket restrictions on mobile phones in schools and on social media access for under 16s. The evidence does not show that such bans address the root causes of harm and they risk being difficult to enforce, inequitable, and ineffective.
Rather than removing access entirely, children need to be equipped with the skills, confidence and support to develop healthy relationships with technology that will last throughout their lives.
As the Online Safety Act is implemented, we want to see far stronger and faster action from technology companies. This includes safety and privacy by design, robust age-appropriate experiences, and the urgent removal of addictive design features that keep children on platforms for longer than is healthy and algorithm-driven feedback loops.
This consultation is an important opportunity, but it must be matched with timely and decisive action to keep children safe online.
The Anti-Bullying Alliance has issued its own statement in close consultation with its advisory group.