A Bill to make smartphones less addictive to support healthier, happier childhoods
—Josh MacAlister OBE MP (Labour - Whitehaven and Workington)
A Bill to make smartphones less addictive to support healthier, happier childhoods
—Josh MacAlister OBE MP (Labour - Whitehaven and Workington)
When I launched my Safer Phones Bill last year I said it was the start of a debate and a campaign of persuasion. Over the last few months, we’ve had a very lively national debate and persuaded many people that it is time to act on the negative effects of excessive screen time and social media use on children’s health, sleep and learning.
The final Bill published today (5th March), which will be debated in Parliament on the 7th March, is the next step. From the start my focus has been on securing government support for action and I’m now hopeful that the Government will back the measures in this Bill on Friday. If they do, it will be the first meaningful step from a UK Government to engage with the widespread impacts of excessive smartphone and social media use by children.
The Bill commits the Government to come back within a year on the question of raising the digital age of consent from 13 to 16, a change that has recently been made in Norway. It commits the Government to instruct the UK Chief Medical Officers to update and reissue guidance for parents and professionals about the impacts of excessive screen time and social media use on children. Recent equivalent advice in the US has transformed the debate in America on this issue. Finally, it calls on the Government to conduct more research and further develop the evidence and guidance that is important for future action.
I want to thank everyone who has contributed to the debate so far, especially the hundreds of health and education professionals, children’s, youth and online safety charities, parents and young people themselves. This debate is only just getting started and I believe further action in the near future is only going to become more urgent.
The final Bill published today (5th March), which will be debated in Parliament on the 7th March, is the next step. From the start my focus has been on securing government support for action and I’m now hopeful that the Government will back the measures in this Bill on Friday. If they do, it will be the first meaningful step from a UK Government to engage with the widespread impacts of excessive smartphone and social media use by children.
The Bill commits the Government to come back within a year on the question of raising the digital age of consent from 13 to 16, a change that has recently been made in Norway. It commits the Government to instruct the UK Chief Medical Officers to update and reissue guidance for parents and professionals about the impacts of excessive screen time and social media use on children. Recent equivalent advice in the US has transformed the debate in America on this issue. Finally, it calls on the Government to conduct more research and further develop the evidence and guidance that is important for future action.
I want to thank everyone who has contributed to the debate so far, especially the hundreds of health and education professionals, children’s, youth and online safety charities, parents and young people themselves. This debate is only just getting started and I believe further action in the near future is only going to become more urgent.
Josh MacAlister OBE MP (Labour - Whitehaven and Workington)
“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.”
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Kit Malthouse MP, former Conservative Education Secretary and one of the co-sponsors of the Bill
"I'm fully behind this Bill, we've got to take action to protect children's mental health from the harmful effects of social media. I hope that in this Parliament we will see meaningful reform in this area, and this Bill is a great first step."
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Dan Tomlinson, Labour MP for Chipping Barnet
"Our children are being left without protection to navigate the online world alone. Parents are rightly raising the alarm. I was elected on a platform to sort the country out for a better future for the next generation and this bill will tackle the one of the major issues of our time."
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Lola McEvoy, Labour MP for Darlington
“The evidence is now overwhelming. We must end the damaging impact of smartphones on our children, and that means regulation catching up. I’m proud to support this bill that takes some important steps to make our children safer online.”
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Joe Powell, Labour MP for Kensington & Bayswater
"This Bill is a really constructive first step in the necessary change required to protect our children from the harms of social media. Too many parents, and teachers, feel powerless in the face of addictive social media - unable to keep their child safe. Action is needed - and it’s great that Josh is putting this forward."
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Jake Richards, Labour MP for Rother Valley
"One day in the future we will look back and wonder how we allowed our children to be subjected to such addictive and in some cases harmful content. The Safer Phones Bill will help to create a national conversation about how we better protect our children and improve their mental health and well-being. I’m delighted to lend my support."
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Jess Asato, Labour MP for Lowestoft
“Smartphones and social media are addictive. We know this. We are already seeing the damage caused by children spending hours online with unsupervised access to the internet and social media. This Bill is the first step to put in place protections which are sorely needed.”
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Claire Coutinho, Former Children’s Minister
“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.”
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Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England
“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.”
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Anne Longfield CBE, Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives and former Children’s Commissioner for England
“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 hope MPs from across the House will do the right thing and back this important Bill”
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Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union
“Smartphones and the instant access they provide to harmful content is nothing short of a public health emergency for children and young people …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.”
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Pepe Di’lasio, General Secretary of the Association of School & College Leaders
The online world is an integral part of children’s lives, which they must be able to enjoy and participate in without being put at risk of harm. We support renewed efforts to strengthen protections for children online, to ensure they can only access services designed with their wellbeing in mind and which offer safer experiences that are appropriate for their age. It is vital that technology companies are held accountable for putting children first, and this legislation can help reinforce this further.
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Action for Children, Barnardo's, NCB, NSPCC, and The Children's Society
Action for Children, Barnardo's, NCB, NSPCC, and The Children's Society
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