Key facts
- Young people spend large amounts of time online, often from a very young age, and many use social media in ways consistent with addiction.
- Children under the age limits for social media accounts frequently have profiles, exposing them to harmful content and contact.
- Technology companies have failed to protect children adequately from online harms, including abuse, harassment, misinformation and extremist content.
- Existing law, including the Online Safety Act, must be enforced robustly so that companies meet their responsibilities.
- Media literacy, digital citizenship and relationships education are essential to help young people navigate online spaces safely and critically.
- Online harms affect some groups disproportionately, including girls and Black women and girls, exacerbating existing inequalities.
Key statistics
- The average twelve-year-old in the UK spends around twenty-one hours a week on their smartphone, similar to a part-time job.
- Around one in four children and young people use their smartphones in a way consistent with a behavioural addiction.
- Research suggests that up to 99% of sixteen- to twenty-five-year-olds in the UK use social media every day.
- About 75% of children aged twelve and under have at least one social media account, despite being below the official age limit.
- 68% of young people are worried about the scale of extremist content on the internet and social media.
- 78% of young people in one study reported at least one form of digitally facilitated harm, such as body shaming or harassing comments.
- 64% of young people agree that young women are less likely to take part in online debates, platforms and games because of fear of abuse by men.
- Black women and girls are disproportionately affected by sexual harassment and abuse online.
Campaign asks
- Raise the age of digital adulthood to sixteen so that children cannot hold social media accounts until they are older, alongside robust age verification.
- Ensure strong enforcement of the Online Safety Act so that technology companies meet their obligations to protect children from harm.
- Require technology companies to remove harmful content quickly and to design platforms that prioritise safety over profit.
- Embed media literacy and digital citizenship education across the curriculum so that young people can think critically and act safely online.
- Introduce a windfall tax on social media companies to fund mental health services for children and young people affected by online harm.
- Adopt an ethical watermark for social media platforms to break the link between harmful content and advertising revenue, while protecting progressive causes from demonetisation or shadow-banning.