Josh MacAlister, Labour MP for Whitehaven and Workington, will introduce a Bill this Wednesday to protect children from the harms that can be caused by excessive screen time, and the use of social media and other apps, many of them addictive by design.
Josh, a former teacher and charity CEO, who led a landmark independent review into children’s social care for the previous government, secured fifth place in the Private Members’ Bill ballot, meaning his Bill is guaranteed a full debate in Parliament.
Research shows that the average UK 12-year-old spends 21 hours a week – equivalent to a part-time job – on their smartphone, and that one in four children and young people use their smartphones in a way that is consistent with a behavioural addiction.
There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that smartphones, and social media in particular, are negatively impacting children’s mental health, sleep and learning. There are also concerns about the time children are losing from real life play and interactions. The impact is more acute for vulnerable children.
The Bill aims to address these concerns by making smartphones less addictive for children and by empowering families and teachers to cut down on children’s daily smartphone screen time.
The Bill is co-sponsored by a cross-party group of MPs, including former Conservative Education Secretary, Kit Malthouse MP, and is backed by the Chair-elect of the Education Select Committee, Helen Hayes MP, the current and former Children’s Commissioner and a coalition of parents’ campaign groups, teaching unions, school leaders and children’s charities.
Josh MacAlister MP said:
“The evidence is mounting that children doom scrolling for hours a day is causing widespread harm. We need the equivalent of the “seatbelt” legislation for social media use for children.
“Adults find it hard enough to manage screen time, so why are we expecting children to manage this addictive content without some shared rules? Parents are in an impossible bind over whether to ostracise their child from social media or expose them to the harms and addiction of content.
“Countries around the world are now taking bold action and our children risk being left behind. It’s time to have the national debate here in the UK. Polling shows that parents overwhelmingly support taking action on this issue and the coalition of experts backing my Bill reflects the views of those who are dealing with the consequences of excessive screen time.
“I look forward to the debate and hope to convince colleagues from across the House to back my Bill. I’d urge supporters to write to their MPs to encourage them to do so.”
As recently as 6th October, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology said he was “open minded” about the options for keeping children safe online.
The Australian government recently announced that they intend to ban social media for children, the American congress is considering tough rules on addictive design features and the French government is testing a legal phone ban in schools. Despite bold action in other countries, research shows that the problem is bigger in the UK with British parents struggling more than those in other countries with limiting the amount of time their children spend on phones (46% compared to 40% in America and 38% in Germany). British parents are also more supportive of regulation, and this support is rising steeply.
Josh MacAlister’s Bill contains four main provisions:
Raising the age of internet adulthood from 13 to 16, by raising the age at which companies can get data consent from children without parental permission. This will make it harder for companies to push addictive content to children by using their data to feed algorithms, and it will give greater powers to parents.
Delivering smartphone free schools, by backing headteachers with a legal requirement that all schools should be mobile free zones. This would be done by putting existing guidance on a statutory footing.
Strengthening Ofcom’s powers to protect children from apps that are designed to be addictive. This would mean giving Ofcom a specific mandate to protect children’s interests and new powers to enforce a code of conduct to prevent children being exposed to ‘addictive by design’ apps and services.
Committing Government to review further regulation if needed of the design, supply, marketing and use of mobile phones by children under 16.
Quotes from supporters of the Bill:
Kit Malthouse MP, former Conservative Education Secretary, who is one of the co-sponsors of the Bill:
“The growing evidence of the impact of smartphones on kids is deeply alarming. So being clear about our expectations from providers and regulators, and their duties towards our children has to be a step in the right direction, and I’m pleased to support a Bill that does exactly that.”
Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England:
“As Children’s Commissioner, children being safe is a critical priority. Children have told me repeatedly how unsafe they often feel online, and so I welcome the provision in this Bill which will help to make sure that happens for every child, every time, in and out of school.
“Having called for the Online Safety Act and celebrated its passing into law last year, I welcome the provisions in this Bill that will strengthen the implementation of the Act. A duty of care on online services will ensure that tech companies consistently put children’s safety ahead of their profit margins. I also welcome the call for a code of conduct for platforms to be safe by design. Children tell me that they want to enjoy the benefits of the online world and to be protected from harmful content and harmful behaviours. This Bill will secure the proactive approach to keeping children safe online that is required in an era of evolving technology.”
Anne Longfield CBE, Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives and former Children’s Commissioner for England:
“This Bill opens the door to a crucial national debate about the negative impact smartphones can have on children, and the urgent need to address those problems.
“For too long this has been the elephant in the room – we know many children, increasingly from a young age, are spending too much time doom scrolling on social media apps and how long periods of addictive smartphone screen time can be detrimental.
“Parliament now has an opportunity to reset children’s relationships with smartphones, and marginalise their impact and influence on developing young minds.”
Baroness Beeban Kidron OBE, Founder and Chair of the 5Rights Foundation:
“By raising the age of data consent to 16 and inserting an overarching duty of care for children to be inserted into the Online Safety Act, Josh MacAlister MP has brilliantly given new force to both the Age Appropriate Design Code and the Online Safety Act. I fully support him in wishing to strengthen both regimes.
“I hope the government fully understands the strength of feeling of parents, teachers and children across the UK, and they see that this Bill reflects the wish of the public to see more robust enforcement of children’s privacy and safety by regulators.”
Pepe Di’lasio, General Secretary of the Association of School & College Leaders:
“Smartphones and the instant access they provide to harmful content is nothing short of a public health emergency for children and young people. This technology is a conduit for bullying, pornography and hateful views. School and college leaders routinely pick up the pieces among damaged students. It is not enough to rely solely on parents and schools teaching children about the dangers of smartphones. We have reached a point where regulation is required over their sale and the conduct of online platforms.”
Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union:
“The National Education Union welcomes Josh MacAlister MP’s Bill to protect children online and toughen regulation.
“It is plain for all to see that social media usage has been a core reason for the rise in mental health difficulties among children and young people.
“We need to be doing much more as a society to protect children from online harm. The rights and best interests of children when online should be at the forefront of decision making for Government and social media companies.
“If social media companies are left to their own devices, the mental health crisis in young people will only get worse. It is time to beef up regulation of the social media giants so as a society we start to put children first.
“We hope MPs from across the House will do the right thing and back this important Bill.”
Joe Ryrie, co-founder of the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign:
“Parents everywhere are crying out for government to go further and faster in regulating Big Tech, so that they alone are not responsible for guarding childhood from the addictive and predatory algorithms for which they are no match. We need to start thinking about children’s digital safety in a more imaginative way, going beyond just the harms, so that we can build upon the Online Safety Act and start developing a new regulatory approach that has young people’s wellbeing and healthy development at its heart.”
Arabella Skinner, co-founder of the SafeScreens campaign:
“It has become apparent that the Online Safety Act is an incomplete and flawed solution for children’s online safety. We welcome this Bill as the first significant political initiative to recognise that fact and to do something meaningful to protect children from the proliferating harms not just of online content but of smartphones themselves.”
Dr Becky Foljambe, NHS GP and founder of Health Professionals for Safer Screens:
“As health professionals we see at first hand the harms visited on children by smartphone use and social media. It has become a major impediment to the healthy development of our young, especially among the most vulnerable. We fully support Josh’s aim to address these harms by empowering parents and children to make better and more informed decisions.”
Professor Ben Carter, Professor of Medical Statistics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London:
“Whilst Smartphones offer the considerable benefit of connectivity, the evidence shows that between 1 in 3 to 1 in 10 young people are exhibiting problematic smartphone use (PSU). These are behaviours that are consistent with the symptoms of a behavioural addiction & include: a pre-occupation with their device; increased use needed for reward; a sense of loss when the battery dies; and continued use despite known harm.
“The link between PSU and screen time has consistently been found with poor sleep. However, research at King’s College London supports a link to anxiety (double in those with PSU) and depression (3 times in those with PSU). We have also found a link with specific social media Apps.
“Most young people already use strategies to reduce their usage & we found 1 in 8 young people wanted help to cut down their PSU. Interventions are needed to help our young people.
“Legislation for social media companies to meet their current obligations would benefit the current situation. Coupled with better social media Apps co-designed by addiction psychiatry, parents, teachers and adolescents.”
Dr Sanjiv Nichani OBE, Senior Consultant Paediatrician, Leicester Children’s Hospital:
“There is irrefutable clinical and research evidence about the causal link between the ‘Screen Demic’, which is the Epidemic of Mental Health Illness in Children and Young People, as well as language and communication problems in Early childhood and Excessive Screen Time and Social Media Use.
“The Screen Demic and its ill effects are so entrenched in the lives of children and families in our country that nothing short of systemic and societal change will be required to manage this vast problem.
“I am delighted with this Private Members Bill, which will help address the gross inadequacies of the Online Safety Bill.”
Russell Hobby CBE, Chief Executive Officer, Teach First:
“It is increasingly clear that smartphones are a distraction in school and a potential source of harm to young people. They are a useful tool in life, but they don’t belong inside schools, and some time disconnected can only be good for young people. There are plenty of alternative ways for them to stay connected to parents when travelling outside school. We support this ban, and so do many of our partners and ambassadors.”
Hilary Spencer, Chief Executive Officer, Ambition Institute:
“We need to make sure that children are protected properly online: the impact of unregulated social media access and smartphones in schools on children’s education, health and well-being is an issue that needs collective action”
Josh MacAlister MP 