The government has announced it is to hold a review into the impact that excessive social media use can have on children's mental health.
Making the announcement recently, Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that social media has the potential to be as harmful to children's mental health as sugar is to their physical health.
"Overwhelmingly, technology is a force for good, but we are seeing more and more evidence that children using social media for hours on end each day is having a detrimental impact on their mental health," Hancock said.
The review, to be undertaken by chief medical officer for England Dame Sally Davies, will publish interim findings by the end of the year (see box) in advance of the government launching an online awareness-raising campaign for parents in 2019.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
