How can we build a healthier,
safer relationship with phones and social media.
I’m really keen to hear your views on an issue many parents and young people have raised with me: how we can help young people build a healthier, safer relationship with phones and social media.
The Government has launched a national conversation on children’s online safety, recognising both the huge benefits of technology and the growing concerns about its impact on young people’s wellbeing.
There’s no single agreed solution yet, and a range of options are being explored from setting a minimum age for social media and improving age‑verification, to reviewing the digital age of consent, limiting addictive features like infinite scrolling, and strengthening parental controls. While this work takes place, new guidance is already being rolled out, including screen‑time advice for parents and updated rules to make schools phone‑free by default.
I want to make sure the voices of families here in Wakefield and Rothwell are heard in this process, so please do share your thoughts, concerns, and experiences with me. Your insight will help shape the conversations and decisions ahead.
Key options being
considered.
The Government is asking for people’s views on several ideas to help manage children’s use of social media.
These include:
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Setting a suitable minimum age for social media, including the possibility of a ban for younger children.
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Improving age‑verification tools so platforms can better enforce age limits and ensure children only see age‑appropriate content.
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Reviewing the digital age of consent to decide whether the current threshold is too low.
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Limiting features that encourage addictive use, such as endless or “infinite” scrolling.
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Providing more support for parents, including clearer guidance and simpler parental controls to help families navigate the online world.
