WGPlus (Archive)
Should we ‘Sugar Tax’ the Social Media companies to provide funds? |
The CMO is reviewing the impact that too much social media use can have on children’s mental health and will draw up guidance to help parents. Secretary of State for Health & Social Care, Matt Hancock, has issued an urgent warning on the potential dangers of social media on children’s mental health, stating that the threat of social media on mental health is similar to that of sugar on physical health. The CMO will draw up guidance to help parents ensure children don’t use social media in a way that harms their mental health. The guidance will include what age a child should be allowed to sign up to a social media account, and how often they should have access. Evidence shows that children who spend more than 3 hours using social networking websites on a school day are twice as likely to report high or very high scores for mental ill-health. |
Researched Links: |
Matt Hancock warns of dangers of social media on children’s mental health ESRC: Overexposed to unhealthy ads Do children need an ‘Icelandic’ environment? Peer Pressure is now 24/7 with modern tech NAO: Improving children & young people’s mental health services Children’s Commissioner: Finding out more about children in England detained in the secure estate LGA response to EPI report on children's mental health services NCFE: Tips for teachers – talking about mental health in the classroom NCFE: World Mental Health Day - Encouraging learners to practice self-compassion Today’s children suffer from more ‘pressures’ Catching’ it early can be beneficial |