Social media ranks alongside smoking as a danger to children, top British doctors said on Tuesday, as they urged lawmakers to address the harm they say excessive screen time is doing to young people.
The Academy of Royal Colleges of Medicine detailed the impact of social media on children in a submission to the government’s consultation on protecting children online, which ends on Tuesday.
“It stands alongside smoking and wearing seat belts in cars as a unifying force for the medical profession.”
“There can be few issues that have united doctors as strongly in recent years as the impact that unlimited exposure to technology and devices is currently having on the health of children and young people,” said the body, which represents the 23 royal colleges and faculties of medicine in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
More than half of the 132 doctors surveyed saw at least one case of health harm that could be related to technology and devices each week, and more than a third saw evidence of harm several times a week, it said.
Harms ranged from physical injuries, for example caused by watching extreme pornography, to mental health impacts, such as trauma from viewing violence online.
Britain is holding consultations on restricting children’s access to social media, including a possible ban for those under 16, as well as curfews, time limits on apps and restrictions on what it has described as addictive design features.
Last year, Australia became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, and European countries are considering similar measures.
Britain’s online safety law requires social media companies to take steps to protect children from illegal and harmful online content, but the government has pledged to go further.
“The question is not whether we will act, we will, whether it is a ban on social media for those under 16 or restrictions on key features and functions,” said Technology Secretary Liz Kendall. bbc news.
Hundreds of British families are testing social media bans, curfews and app time limits to see how they affect children’s sleep, family life and school work.
Experts are divided over the effectiveness of an outright ban, while a London youth group recently said Reuters They opposed the restrictions.
