This week I met with Damian McBeath – the Head Teacher for The John Wallis Academy in my Ashford Constituency. He and other campaigners from all over the country had travelled to Westminster to discuss their experiences and knowledge of rules on the use of smartphones on school premises, ahead of the Protection of Children (Digital Safety and Data Protection) Private Member’s Bill, put forward by Josh MacAlister, which is due for its second reading in March next year.
After spending 22 years working in the NHS, primarily in Mental Health Services as a nurse, I have seen the detrimental effects of the overuse of smartphones and other technology has on our young people. Social media is undoubtedly linked to many mental health issues we see in so many people today. 2010 was the year children began to get access to smartphones on a far greater scale, we saw a huge global spike in mental health issues. This is unlikely to be a coincidence. Higher rates of depression from what is now known as ‘FOMO’ (Fear of Missing Out) and cyberbullying, increased rates of self-harm and suicide increased by the incredibly dark side of the internet of which our children now have almost totally unfiltered access to, due to the devices in their pockets. This is something we should be looking to combat.
We have also seen a spike in disinformation and extremism over the past few years. As social media has become the main source of news and information, people who would have previously been fringe figures, such as Andrew Tate, have entered the mainstream for young and impressionable audiences and are now influencing the next generation’s discourse through their newsfeeds. We saw just how dangerous this can be in real-time during the riots over the summer this year – fueled by online disinformation and racial hatred – people were smashing up streets across the country and trying to burn down hotels where asylum seekers are living. If we can find a way to stem online extremism early, we should be looking to take that precautionary step.
Education is a key time for young people in which they can grow as people and prepare for later life. However, schooling and education are also taking a hit from smartphones. The teachers who came to Parliament explained that students are far too often becoming distracted in lessons and at school due to their devices, and they are concerned about it costing them further opportunities in later life.
The dangers of online grooming were also flagged by the teachers and campaigners. They explained their concerns that many vulnerable young people have totally unfiltered access to social media and can speak with whoever also has access to those sites, some of whom remain anonymous or use fake profiles. This of course leaves room for exploitation by people with sinister motives. Since 2022 there has been a 66% increase in ‘self-generated’ sexual abuse imagery of children aged under 10. Schools should be safe places where our young people can grow and learn – now more teachers are reporting that they are concerned about their pupils’ online safety.
However, we do need to recognise the benefits that smartphones and easy access to technology have given us and our young people – much of this cannot be disputed – we have not got access to the largest source of information ever with the internet, and thanks to smartphones it has never been easier to access that pool of knowledge. We also must be careful to take precautions where smartphones are used for other measures, such as medical conditions. For example, smartphones are now often used for people with diabetes to check their insulin levels. Any new legislation passed must consider proper safeguarding to protect people who could be in danger if there was a total or overly stringent ban. However, there is no doubt that we must do more to protect children from the potentially harmful results of the overuse of smartphones at certain times.
Therefore, I will be supportive of any suggestions put forward by Damian and his fellow campaigners – or measures by my colleague, Josh MacAlister MP in his Private Member’s Bill – which are in line with the Government’s policies.
We can do more to protect children from the potentially harmful results of the overuse of smartphones
