With social media now a part of everyday life, more children are becoming addicted and struggling with mental health issues. As a result, many parents and safety advocates support banning social media for children. Some countries, such as Australia, have already introduced bans for users under 18. According to news reports, several other countries are also considering similar restrictions.
According to NBC News, Spain, Greece, and Slovenia are working on similar bans, following Australia’s lead by restricting access for children under 16. Although the UK’s Online Safety Act has been in effect since 2023, it does not cover one-to-one interactions with AI chatbots. The UK is now reportedly considering legislation similar to Australia’s approach to close this gap, responding to concerns about the impact of AI chatbots on children and young people.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, a podcaster and former GP, said he supports stricter regulation of big tech to protect children’s mental health. He has called for banning social media for under-18s and reducing screen-based homework.
According to Dr. Chatterjee, excessive screen time has become a major public health concern, particularly for young people. He warns that too much time on screens can affect mental wellbeing, sleep quality, posture, and eyesight. Drawing from his experience as a doctor and a parent, he believes raising the legal age for social media use to 18 is a necessary step.
I don’t want this to come across as blaming my parents. Back then, there was quite a lot of discrimination and the way their child doesn’t have to face the struggles they had is to be a straight-A student. I get that, but I think I took on, as a child, the belief that I was only really loved if I got top grades. On one hand, that’s great, it drives you to work hard, you go into a prestigious profession. But I realised that for all my so-called success, I wasn’t actually that happy or content.
I’m happily married for 18 years. I’ve got children who I spend a lot of quality time with. I’m saying I’ve understood that actually, I’m prepared to have less ‘societal success’ if necessary, in order to make sure my relationships with my mum, my wife, my children, my friends, are front and centre. We know from the research that the No 1 factor for long-term health, happiness and longevity is the quality of your relationships.
– Dr. Rangan Chatterjee on The Guardian
Chatterjee, a doctor, advocates for a preventive healthcare approach within the NHS, emphasizing the need for health coaches and a long-term plan. He reflects on his father’s experiences as an immigrant doctor and the impact of discrimination. Chatterjee prioritizes personal relationships over societal success, believing they are crucial for long-term health and happiness.
Acknowledgement: This summary was generated using AI writing tools as part of my AI Explorations process. For more information, please refer to the original The Guardian article and other resource links listed below.