I strongly support a ban on under-16s accessing social media and the Conservative Party and I are pressing the Labour Government to back this vital measure to protect children.
Conservative Peers have tabled Amendment 94a to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill in the House of Lords, which would prevent children under 16 from setting up social media accounts. I am encouraged that this proposal is gaining cross-party support, and I urge the Government to recognise that this is a necessary and proportionate step.
The evidence is clear. Children aged 8–14 are now spending almost three hours online every day, rising to four hours for those aged 13–14. Around 70 per cent of teenagers are exposed to videos of real-life violence online, and the vast majority are not seeking this content out—they are simply stumbling across it. Nearly three-quarters of secondary school students say their relationship with their phone is unhealthy, a figure that rises even higher among university students.
We also know that harmful content is widespread. More than a quarter of children report seeing pornography by the age of 11, often by accident. Online child sexual abuse offences rose by 26 per cent last year, and children are being exposed to eating disorder content that attracts hundreds of thousands of views per video.
As a father, I understand how difficult it is for parents to compete with what has been described as a “trillion-dollar attention economy”. This is why statutory regulation is now needed to level the playing field and give parents real support.
I will vote to raise the age limit for social media use and will continue to push for these protections as the Bill progresses through Parliament. If you would like to support this campaign, please visit www.getkidsoffsocialmedia.com.
