Keir Starmer promises to ‘fight’ social media firms over addictive content

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to “tackle” social media firms over their efforts to keep children away from mobile phones, tablets and TV screens.

Sir Keir, who visited a school in south London, said parents were looking for appropriate screen time and social media use for their children without any help.

The government has now published guidance advising parents of young children to limit screen time for children aged two to five to one hour a day, and less if possible.

For children under two, screen time should be avoided unless there are shared activities that encourage children to interact with others; Advice was also given to parents.

The Prime Minister said: “When there’s so much going on, when kids are throwing a tantrum, it’s obvious to try to find something to distract them, and I don’t think parents and carers have any guidance yet on what’s appropriate, what might be best.”

The government is also currently consulting on how to protect children under 16 online; This could include an Australian-style social media ban or measures such as time limits and curfew.

Sir Keir added: “Some of it will require a fight. If we’re going to do more to protect children, we’re going to have to tackle some of the platforms that put these addictive things there for a reason.”

“They want more kids to spend more time online, and we have to fight them and make it clear whose side we are on here.”

New guidance on screen time for young children advises families to avoid fast-paced social media-style videos, toys or gadgets that use artificial intelligence (AI), and keep bedtime and mealtimes screen-free.

The guidance was developed by a panel led by children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza and child health expert Professor Russell Viner.

Prof Viner, a paediatrician and professor at University College London, said he would next like to see the Government issue more specific advice to parents about what is really good content for their children to see.

“What we’re recommending is for the Government to provide better guidance for educators on what is good content and what is bad, because there is so much educational content out there making all kinds of claims that can be confusing for parents,” he told the Press Association.

Prof Viner said prolonged screen viewing without interactive interaction “eliminates” things important for young children’s development, such as sleep and physical activity.

It also appears to have an impact on children’s language development, he added.

The government has previously said that around 98% of children watch screens every day by the age of two, and those with the highest screen time are seeing an impact on their language.

Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, education minister Josh MacAlister said “childhood has been completely restructured” over the last decade due to social media and screen time.

“We’re really trying to help create some new social norms for parents of young children,” he said.

“There’s no judgment. These things are much easier said than done, I appreciate it.”

A jury in Los Angeles on Wednesday ruled that Google, which owns YouTube, and Meta, which operates Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, created platforms to attract young users without regard for their well-being.

Sir Keir told reporters on Thursday he was keen to tackle addictive features on social media.

Prof Viner told the Press Association that evidence from Australia and a hearing into different restrictions would help the UK decide how to protect young people.

“We definitely need to do something to limit teenagers’ exposure to harmful content, because that’s the real problem,” he said.

“I definitely support thinking about how we can get social media companies to design pro-development things through design.”