'Robbed of wellbeing' - Shocking report claims social media is destroying the lives of our younger generation
Students are being “robbed" of their wellbeing by the damaging impact of social media.
That is the claim today from the UK's largest teaching union, which has called for the digital age of consent to rise from 13 to 16.
The National Education Union (NEU) and supporting organisations have launched Robbed: Big Tech's Little Victims, to call for guaranteed space on the school curriculum to teach digital literacy; a windfall tax on social media companies to pay for mental health services; and for the Government to publish guidance on the health impacts of social media for children.
A poll conducted by Censuswide for the NEU of 2,001 people in the UK found nearly seven in 10 said they believe social media companies are robbing children and young people of their childhoods, and 68 per cent said they think social media is exacerbating mental health problems in under-16s.
The campaign is calling for the digital age of consent to be raised to 16. The House of Commons Education Committee said last year the Government should consult on raising the digital age of consent, and both the Safer Phones Bill and the Liberal Democrats have also made the same call.
The digital age of consent refers to the age a child may give consent to the processing of their personal data in relation to information society services.
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said: "Every day, teachers see the damage big tech is doing to children and young people.
