Social media as bad for children as smoking, say British doctors

Social media ranks alongside smoking as a danger to children, ‌senior British doctors said on Tuesday, as they urged lawmakers to tackle the harm that they say excessive screen time is causing to young people.

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 which 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 ⁠to mental health impacts, such as trauma from seeing violence online.

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.

WAM