UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer addresses concerns over children's mental health and social media addiction.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced sweeping plans to ban social media access for children under the age of 16, arguing that platforms are contributing to rising levels of addiction, anxiety and disrupted childhood development.
In a hard-hitting statement, Starmer said the decision follows extensive consultation with parents who overwhelmingly raised concerns about children’s excessive screen time and exposure to social media algorithms.
“Thousands of parents say their children are addicted to social media,” Starmer said, warning that it can leave young people “trapped in a cycle of endless scrolling.”
He added that the impacts are increasingly visible in daily family life, saying social media use can “displace play, sleep, and time with the family,” and may also “harm their mental health.”
