‘Social media needs a health warning’: Readers on kids’ rising screen time

Iindependent readers hit out at the dangers of screen time for young children and the grip of social media, reacting to new government guidance and the landmark US case finding Meta and YouTube liable for addiction.

Many have painted a clear picture of the risks, warning that even limited screen use can dull curiosity, slow learning and replace real-world play.

Nostalgia dominated the comments; readers longed for a time when children played outside, made face-to-face friendships, and weren’t subjected to online harassment, bullying, or a constant bombardment of misinformation.

Some emphasized parental responsibility and stressed that young children rely on adults to set boundaries and model healthy digital habits. But readers were just as quick to call out the tech giants, arguing that the platforms were deliberately designing addictive feeds, publishing harmful content, and profiting from users’ attention and data, and that they should be held accountable.

Throughout the debate, the message was clear: Children need guidance, parents need support, and social media companies must face the consequences of their designs.

Here’s what you need to say:

It’s not a fair fight

Those who say “Stop using apps” are missing two important points.

Addiction is different for different people. I had no problem greatly reducing my alcohol consumption, with none of the withdrawal symptoms or cravings I was told to expect. But I just know that I’m lucky and that some people really struggle with it.

Companies like Meta invest millions of dollars to create uniquely addictive products. As a user, you are against it. This isn’t a very fair fight.

RickC

Not just young people

The obsession isn’t limited to young people. I’ve seen elderly people keep their phones next to them while eating in restaurants. There is another reason for this. They are loners, have no contact with other people, and enjoy exchanging messages containing jokes and political news. In the good old days, people used to call each other, but now they just send messages. This makes people even more lonely.

TotiCalling

Screen time for young children

The only screen a child under the age of five should watch is cartoons on television, and even this should be limited.

Social media has now been proven to be addictive in a very negative way.

Not only is it banned for under 16s, it should be banned for all of us because I can’t think of a single positive feature it brings to anyone, including interacting with our friends.

Bring back the good old days, pre-social media, when kids were allowed to be kids, when kids played outside with their friends instead of being glued to tablets, groomed by sick gamers, and bullied online.

Back to a place where lies weren’t truth, where hostile states couldn’t influence people’s political views, where people couldn’t be groomed to be extremists, and where fake actors couldn’t convince people to contact their banks online and transfer their entire life savings to a new account.

The vast majority of our country’s leaders know that social media is of no use to us and harms democracy, but who would have the courage to accept it and then ban it completely?

When it comes to screen time for kids under five, I think the majority are responsible enough to limit young kids’ screen time, unless you’re a parent who’s overly stressed and has a lot on their hands. If not, I hope the government’s advice helps, but what I won’t do, as so many people do, is blame the parents because no one else knows what it’s like to be in their shoes.

Amy

Health warning needed on social media

Social media is just one example of ‘better’ targeted advertising. Better in this case means any possible method to attract attention, maintain attention, and obtain valuable data for resale. This is it. Perhaps a ‘health warning’ stating this could be placed on each page to deter the unwary, so to speak. It is important to prevent abuse of the above rule. Management of social media companies should face closure or imprisonment, not fines.

nose plus

Avoiding excessive screen time

If you’re a parent who chooses to prevent or greatly limit screen time, or — heaven forbid — no screen time before two o’clock, then you’re on your own. And this is us. We have literally yet to meet anyone currently raising a young child who takes such an ‘extreme’ approach. We are bad parents who deprive our child of his own tablet, Bluey, third parent Miss Rachel, and other heroes.

I’m sad that this is the new normal and I fear for the generation that will come out of this. There is no need for studies to see the effects of screen time on children; Just look at their faces when they’re watching something. There is a blank stare to nowhere. There’s nothing going on inside their heads that they can learn things at incredible speed and be naturally incredibly curious; screens are like a super slow lobotomy.

Why not22

Platforms must take responsibility

I must admit that I am not convinced by the “boo-hoo, addiction” argument. Of course, it’s hard for kids these days (or anyone who doesn’t generally have a limited social circle) to get off social media completely, but I’m not convinced that’s the same thing as an addiction per se, and it cheapens the concept of true addiction a bit too much.

However, I am thrilled to see these massive platforms, which make all their money off the backs of users and the data they collect, being forced to take responsibility for the filth and harmful content their algorithms are designed to force our way. If you’ve ever wondered why your Facebook feed goes straight from the echo chamber of you and your friends to the 80 percent content you don’t follow and don’t want, it’s largely for two reasons: crankiness from the top — “Oh, you don’t want echo chambers, right? Well, here’s the other stuff you didn’t sign up for” — and the discovery that people will often engage more and longer with content they strongly disagree with. Improved engagement equals more profits.

Padraig Mahone

Social media content audit

This case certainly opens a can of worms. Can we sue oil companies and car manufacturers for selling products that contribute to cancer and other diseases? Can we sue petrochemical companies that mass produce plastics that end up in our food and drinking water? How about suing tobacco companies for selling products directly linked to cancer and heart disease?

I don’t agree that these platforms are designed to hook you, but I’m not so sure I agree that the platform, as opposed to the content, was a major factor in the deterioration of his mental health. I think they need to do more to moderate content. There are so many lies that people blindly believe.

Mine

parental responsibility

Yes, the platforms are designed to keep you coming back, and the protections and controls are inadequate, but the teenager involved in this case started using social media at the age of six and became addicted by the age of nine. There is also an important question about parental responsibility. What were his mother and father doing? At six years old, he doesn’t get his own phone or iPad. His family allowed his behavior and apparently stood back and let it happen until it was too late.

Giotto1301

Some of the comments in this article have been edited for brevity and clarity.

I want to share your opinions? Just register your information below. Once you sign up, you can comment on the most important stories of the day for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click ‘sign in’ or ‘sign up’ in the top right corner to log in or register.

Be sure to follow our community guidelines, which you can find at. Here. For a complete guide on how to comment, Click here.