The Mental Health Foundation welcomes today’s launch of the public consultation on whether to introduce a ban on social media use for under‑16s by the UK Government. The consultation invites young people, parents, and guardians to share their views on a range of proposals aimed at improving children’s wellbeing online.
Alongside seeking opinions on an outright ban, the Government is asking for input on a series of wider safety interventions, including switching off addictive features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay, introducing mandatory overnight curfews to support better sleep, reviewing children’s access to AI chatbots, and strengthening age verification enforcement. Pilot schemes will run alongside the consultation to gather real-world evidence on the effectiveness of these measures.
Responding to the announcement, Alexa Knight, Director of Policy and Influencing at the Mental Health Foundation, said:
“The Mental Health Foundation welcomes the Government’s consultation on restricting social media access for under‑16s. This reflects a growing recognition of the serious mental health harms young people can face online, including exposure to harmful content, addictive platform design, and the pressures created by algorithms that can undermine wellbeing.
“We look forward to engaging fully with the consultation. Protecting children’s mental health must be at the heart of this process. That means ensuring any measures introduced genuinely reduce exposure to harmful content, address addictive and manipulative design features, and strengthen age assurance and safety standards across platforms.
“The tide is turning on awareness of the risks, and this consultation is an important opportunity to rebalance the digital world in favour of young people’s safety and wellbeing. While a ban has potential benefits, it also carries risks including the possibility that vulnerable children may be pushed towards less regulated online spaces. We must carefully examine the emerging evidence and seek to ensure any changes protect, rather than inadvertently isolate, young people.”
The consultation is open until 26 May and the Mental Health Foundation will be submitting a response in the coming weeks.
ENDS