Cheltenham MP says country needs to protect children against social media harms
New data found some children spend over 4 hours a day online.
Cheltenham’s MP, Max Wilkinson, says more needs to be done to protect children against the harms online.
It’s after a survey for the children’s commissioner found nearly a quarter of children spend more than four hours a day on an internet-enabled device.
Children's Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, has called for "stronger action" to protect children from harmful content online beyond the classroom - including a possible social media ban for children under 16, or restricting smartphone use for all children.
A YouGov poll of children in England aged eight to 15 found one in four (25%) spend two to three hours a day on such a device, while a fifth (20%) spend three to four hours a day.
Schools across the country have already put in place phone bans and restrictions to help lower the dependence young people have on their devices.
Many MP’s and campaigners are now calling for talks on how to better protect young people from the harms of social media and the internet.
MP Max Wilkinson told Greatest Hits Radio: “I think its totally shocking.
“I’ve met with local headteachers and I’ve had a roundtable with local parents as well and spoken to pupils at local schools, crucially on this issue.
“It’s extremely worrying a lot of children are wasting a lot of their time on social media but moreover it’s having a horrible effect on their mental health.”
He added: “What we need to do as a country is have a much much more serious discussion about the impact that the social media platforms are having on children’s brains.
“On their ability to socialise, on their ability to do well at school , on their ability to have a nice family life as well, because it does have an impact on their siblings and their parents.”