Children’s health

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‘Social media bans are likely to make things worse’: psychologist Candice Odgers on kids, tech and mental health

She has studied adolescent mental health for 25 years and fears the debate obscures some of the biggest issues facing teenagers – from the impact of Covid to the health of their adult caregiversThe quickest way to make being online safer for children and teens would be to kick all adult men off the internet, […]

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Screen time can damage under-twos’ development, landmark study suggests

Exclusive: Researchers call for urgent investigation of risks to babies of tablets, smartphones and other digital devicesScreen time for babies and toddlers under the age of two has been linked with long-term negative effects on health and quality of life and should be avoided, according to a landmark study.It warns that using screens during that

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Read a book? Join a club? Stare at a wall? Social media alternatives for under-16s

Amid UK government proposals for a ban, experts discuss what other activities might really serve children wellWhen a Lancashire schoolgirl was asked what she would do if the proposed social media ban for under-16s came into effect, her answer hit a national nerve: “Stare at a wall,” she deadpanned.The clip went viral, not least because

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‘I always considered social media evil’: big tobacco whistleblower on tech’s addictive products

Jeffrey Stephen Wigand revealed how tobacco companies targeted children; now he sees similar marketing by big techA key whistleblower in the tobacco industry’s landmark trials of the 1990s has been watching big tech’s recent court battles closely. Jeffrey Stephen Wigand, a biochemist who helped reveal how tobacco companies targeted children and hid just how addictive

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Instagram to alert parents if teens repeatedly search self-harm terms

Feature for supervised accounts rolls out as Meta platform faces US trials over alleged harms to childrenInstagram will start alerting parents if their kids repeatedly search for terms clearly associated with suicide or self-harm.The announcement on Thursday comes as Instagram’s parent company, Meta, is in the midst of two trials over harms to children. Continue

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Mumsnet campaign demands ban on social media for under-16s

Resembling cigarette packet warnings, the ads highlight dangers and urge people to email MPs Mumsnet has launched a campaign to introduce a ban on social media for under-16s featuring health warnings in the style of those on cigarette packets.The deliberately provocative national advertising campaign calls for all social media to be banned for children under

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Even British teenagers want tighter laws around social media – but let’s make it part of a broader vision for children | Gaby Hinsliff

We need an honest reckoning with other factors that threaten young people’s wellbeing, from poverty to academic stressOur children’s feelings are not for sale, and nor are they to be manipulated.So said Emmanuel Macron this week, after French lawmakers voted to ban under-15s from social media. Admittedly, he then repeated these sentiments in a post

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Schools in England should be phone-free all day, education secretary says

Bridget Phillipson says pupils should not use mobiles at any point, as Ofsted prepares to inspect complianceUK politics live – latest updatesSchools should be phone-free throughout the entire day, the education secretary has told headteachers in England, stressing that pupils should not use the devices even as calculators or for research.Bridget Phillipson wrote to schools

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‘I feel it’s a friend’: quarter of teenagers turn to AI chatbots for mental health support

Experts warn of dangers as England and Wales study shows 13- to 17-year-olds consulting AI amid long waiting lists for servicesIt was after one friend was shot and another stabbed, both fatally, that Shan asked ChatGPT for help. She had tried conventional mental health services but “chat”, as she came to know her AI “friend”,

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