UK ministers have launched a consultation on whether to ban under-16s from social media platforms – but some MPs want the government to go further and introduce a legal phone ban in schools, ITV News understands.
Overnight curfews, breaks to prevent “doom-scrolling”, and introducing an Australian-style social media ban which would raise the digital age of consent, are some of the proposals the government is considering.
It comes after 61 Labour MPs wrote to the prime minister calling for "urgent action" to raise the minimum age for access to social media platforms. ITV News understands at least 66 Labour MPs want the government to bring in a social media ban for under 16s.
They raised concerns around teenagers’ rising mental health issues, their inability to focus on learning and that they are "not building the social skills needed to thrive", adding that the average 12-year-old spends 29 hours per week on a smartphone.
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