On Monday, Conservative MP forced a vote in the House of Commons on removing smartphones from schools and raising the minimum age for social media access to 16.
Richard Fuller MP said:
I have been advocating for stronger measures to safeguard children by removing smartphones from schools and raising the minimum age for social media access to 16. These steps would offer crucial support to parents and teachers and better protect young people. You can read my full thoughts on raising the minimum age for social media here.
After months of inaction, the Government finally launched a consultation, but it asks whether to ban social media, not how to implement a ban. We do not need more dither and delay; nor are we short of evidence demonstrating the harm social media can have on children. Too many children are exposed to highly addictive, carefully engineered platforms, with clear consequences for mental health, sleep, attention, and development. To keep “looking at” the problem, rather than acting, risks wasting valuable time while the harm to our children continues.
That is why on Monday evening, MPs voted on the Conservatives' amendments to remove smartphones from schools and to raise the minimum age for social media access to 16. Disappointingly, Labour MPs voted against both proposals. You can see the results of the vote here.
Parents, teachers and children have been desperately let down by Labour MPs, who were the only party to vote against proposals to ban smartphones in schools and get children off social media.
Guidance on smartphone use in schools is clearly not working, and many teachers want the backing of the law when it comes to removing smartphones from classrooms. At the same time, there is clear evidence that social media platforms are exposing young people to extreme content, including pornography, violence, knife crime and sextortion, every single day. It is affecting wellbeing, behaviour and attainment and is sadly the norm, not the exception.
Instead of supporting stronger action, last night the Government backed an amendment that allows them to delay meaningful action or pursue weaker half-measures such as curfews. In my view, this does not meet the scale of the challenge.
My colleagues in HM Opposition and I will continue putting pressure on the Government to move faster and further to support parents and schools and to ensure children are better protected online. The Bill will now return to the Lords for further consideration, and my Conservative peers will work to provide further scrutiny and push for these proposals to protect our children.
