Resembling cigarette packet warnings, the ads highlight dangers and urge people to email MPs

Mumsnet has launched a campaign to introduce a ban on social media for under-16s featuring health warnings in the style of those on cigarette packets.

The deliberately provocative national advertising campaign calls for all social media to be banned for children under the age of 16. The images on billboards and social media make a number of stark statements related to health.

They claim that “three hours or more social media a day makes teens more likely to self-harm”, that teen phone addiction doubles the risk of anxiety, that social media use can increase the risk of eating disorders in young people and that addictive social media use in teens is linked to higher risk of suicidal behaviour.

The ads request that people email their MP and “demand an under-16s social media ban”.