Social Media: Young People
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the support required for children and young people affected by age-related online restrictions; whether additional mental health or support services will be made available; and what assessment has been made of the potential impact of such restrictions on young people’s social interaction and wellbeing.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
It is important that children and adults can benefit from the opportunities that appropriate use of technology can offer to boost wellbeing; however, this must be balanced with safety and protection from risks to their mental health.
The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on their recent consultation, Growing up in the online world, insights from which will help inform future policy to better protect children’s mental health and ensure that digital platforms play their part in promoting safe and healthy online experiences. More information on the consultation is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/growing-up-in-the-online-world-a-national-consultation
We will be monitoring the impact of further measures to boost children’s online safety, including any age restrictions on social media. We are working closely with researchers, our counterparts in Australia, and the wider voluntary and community sector to assess the potential impact of any restrictions on young people’s wellbeing.
Alongside this, the Government is expanding access to mental health support for children and young people. In the 12 months since the 2024 General Election, almost 40,000 more children and young people received support compared to the previous 12 months. We have also recruited 8,500 extra mental health workers since July 2024. Furthermore, the rollout of Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges is being accelerated so that 100% pupils in England will have access to this innovative early support by 2029. NHS England has also set clear expectations for integrated care boards to reduce the longest waits for children and young people’s community mental health services.
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