Is social media as bad as smoking for children? This is what British doctors reveal

There’s no denying that social media is a two-edged sword; while it can be life-transforming for someone with a lack of scope, on the other hand, it also has the power to spoil someone’s life, especially when it comes to kids. Social media may have a bad impact on growing children. Here’s what British doctors have to say about social media and its impact on children. Read on to find out…


What experts say
On Tuesday, ‌senior British doctors urged the lawmakers to tackle the harm that they say excessive screen time is causing to young people. They further emphasized that social media ranks alongside smoking as a danger to children. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges detailed the impact of social media on children in a submission to the government's consultation on protecting children online, which closes on Tuesday. "It ranks alongside smoking and wearing seatbelts in cars as a unifying ⁠force for the medical profession."
"There can be few issues that have united clinicians so resoundingly in recent years as the impact that unfettered exposure to tech and devices is currently having on children and young people's health," said the body, which represents the UK and Ireland's 23 royal medical colleges and faculties.More than half of 132 doctors surveyed saw at least one case of health harm that could be related to tech and devices every week, and over a third saw evidence of harm multiple times a week, it said. Harms ranged from physical injuries, for example, caused by replicating acts of extreme ‌pornography, ⁠to mental health impacts, such as trauma from seeing violence online.

The way ahead
Britain is consulting on restricting children's access to social media, including a possible ban for under-16s, as well as curfews, app time limits and curbs on what it has described as addictive design features. Australia last year became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, with ⁠European countries considering similar measures. Britain's online safety law requires social media companies to take measures to protect children from illegal and harmful online content, but the government has committed to going further.
"The question isn't whether we are going ⁠to act; we will, whether that is a ban on social media for the under-16s or restrictions on key features and functions," Technology Secretary Liz Kendall told BBC News.


Hundreds of British families are ⁠testing social media bans, curfews and app time limits to see how they impact children's sleep, family life and schoolwork. Experts are divided on how effective a total ban would be, while a group of young people in London recently told Reuters they were opposed to restrictions.