Parents across Rawmarsh and Conisbrough worry about what social media is doing to their children’s sleep, concentration and mental health. Many feel they are fighting a losing battle against platforms designed to keep children scrolling. They are grappling with how much screen time their children should have, when they should give them a phone, what they are seeing online, and the impact all of this is having. They worry about AI, and about their children talking to chatbots as if they’re real people.

A lot of people have contacted me calling for an outright ban on social media for under-16s, and I understand that view. Others, including children’s charities, have warned that a blanket ban could drive children towards less regulated corners of the internet or leave teenagers unprepared when they do come online.

That is why the Government has launched a consultation on children’s safety online. It will look at all the options and consider a wide range of points of view. It also asks the questions about how any new rules would work in practice to ensure they are effective.

Some of the questions the consultation is considering include:

  • Whether there should be a minimum age for social media, and if so, what age would be right
  • Whether platforms should be required to switch off addictive features that keep children hooked late into the night – like infinite scrolling and autoplay
  • Whether mandatory overnight curfews would help children sleep better and what age they should apply to
  • Whether children should be able to use AI chatbots without restriction
  • How age verification enforcement should be strengthened
  • What areas of digital literacy parents and children need extra help with

The consultation is open to everyone with a view. And the Government will respond in the summer, acting swiftly on the evidence gathered.

I would urge parents, carers and, importantly, young people across Rotherham and Doncaster to shape the country’s next steps on children’s digital wellbeing. As your MP, I am determined to make sure that we get this right, and that we create a digital world that gives young people the childhood they deserve and prepares them for the future.

In the meantime, if you want to talk to your children about the content they see online you can check out the Government’s advice at www.gov.uk/kidsonlinesafety

The consultation can be found here: www.gov.uk/growing-up-online

You can take part here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/growinguponline/

The parents’ consultation can be found here: https://survey.savanta.com/?id=a957374a58Sa03ba4b9&lng=en-G

The children’s consultation can be found here: https://survey.savanta.com/?id=3194f31681S2a727403&lng=en-GB

Kids Online Safety information can be found here: https://kidsonlinesafety.campaign.gov.uk/