Streeting likens social media to tobacco as pressure grows for under-16s ban
Senior doctors say 454 surveyed clinicians link weekly child harm to online content, while ministers weigh a ban, curfews and feature limits.
- On Tuesday, senior British doctors compared social media to smoking as a danger to children, urging lawmakers to address harm from excessive screen time. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, representing 23 royal medical colleges across the UK and Ireland, made the comparison.
- Medical surveys reveal widespread health concerns, with more than half of 132 doctors reporting cases of tech-related harm weekly. Harms ranged from physical injuries to mental health trauma from online violence, prompting hundreds of British families to test social media bans.
- The medical body stated, "There can be few issues which have united clinicians so resoundingly in recent years as the impact that unfettered exposure to tech and devices is currently having on children and young people's health." Evidence was submitted to the government's consultation closing today.
- Technology Secretary Liz Kendall told BBC News the government will act, confirming either a ban on social media for under-16s or restrictions on key features and functions. Australia last year became the first country to implement such a ban, with European countries considering similar measures.
- Experts remain divided on whether a total ban would prove effective in protecting children. Young people in London recently told Reuters they opposed restrictions, reflecting ongoing tension between medical recommendations and policy viability.
64 Articles
64 Articles
'Happening at Scale': UK Doctors Compare Social Media Dangers to Smoking and Seatbelt Failures
UK medical leaders have warned that social media poses growing risks to children, comparing the issue to historic public health campaigns involving smoking and seatbelt laws. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges made the comments in a report submitted to the government's consultation on child online safety, which closes this week. The academy, which represents 22 royal medical colleges across the UK, said children were being exposed to 'hateful…
‘Social media should be treated like tobacco’: health experts say the internet is just as bad as smoking for under-16s as UK government edges closer to introducing ban
Social media use has been compared to smoking by medical professionals as the UK government enters the final stages of its ban consultation.
Senior British doctors have called social media as dangerous for children as smoking, urging their lawmakers to address the harm that too much screen time is causing to young people.
Pedopsychiatrist claims that the dangers of using social networks are "worse" than those of smoking and asks doctors that whenever they attend young people question about the time spent in front of screens.
UK Doctors Compare Social Media Harms Affecting Children to Smoking
UK senior doctors have warned that the exposure of children to phones and social media is fueling a health and safety crisis, comparing the harms to past public health battles over seatbelt laws and smoking. A May 26 report by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges described concerns among frontline clinicians who said children are increasingly arriving in hospitals with mental health, behavioral, and physical harms linked to online activity. The…
The Social Media Dilemma: A Growing Health Concern for Children
British doctors equate social media's threat to children with smoking, urging lawmakers to address its harmful impact on youth. The call follows a submission highlighting health risks from tech exposure. The UK considers restrictions or a ban for under-16s, echoing Australia's lead on safeguarding young users.
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