Parents, guardians, and young people in Portsmouth are being urged by local MP Stephen Morgan to shape the country’s next steps on children’s digital wellbeing, as the UK Government opens the world’s most ambitious consultation.
The consultation will gather insights from the public on how to keep children safe online across social media, AI chatbots and gaming platforms.
Its sheer scale is world-leading, looking at expansive options not considered by other countries.
This includes considering how measures like curfews could help 16–17-year-olds with their wellbeing.
Commenting, Stephen Morgan, MP for Portsmouth South, said:
“I know that Portsmouth’s parents are deeply concerned about the impact of social media of their children’s sleep, concentration and mental health.
“Many feel they are fighting a losing battle against platforms designed to keep children scrolling. They are grappling with how much screen time their children should have, when they should give them a phone, what they are seeing online, and the impact all of this is having. They worry about AI, and about their children talking to chatbots as if they’re real people.
“I want people in Portsmouth to help shape what this Labour Government’s action will look like as they fulfil their commitment to address this matter.
“This is why I’m asking children and parents to take part in this important consultation on how young people can thrive in an age of rapid technological change.”
Key questions the consultation will explore some of the most talked-about potential changes, including:
- Whether there should be a minimum age for social media, and if so, what age would be right
- Whether platforms should be required to switch off addictive features that keep children hooked late into the night – like infinite scrolling and autoplay
- Whether mandatory overnight curfews would help children sleep better and what age they should apply to
- Whether children should be able to use AI chatbots without restriction
- How age verification enforcement should be strengthened
- What areas of digital literacy parents and children need extra help with
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said:
“The path to a good life is a great childhood, one full of love, learning and play. That applies just as much to the online world as it does to the real one.
“We know parents everywhere are grappling with how much screen time their children should have, when they should give them a phone, what they are seeing online, and the impact all of this is having.
“This is why we’re asking children and parents to take part in this landmark consultation on how young people can thrive in an age of rapid technological change.
“Together, we will create a digital world that gives young people the childhood they deserve and prepares them for the future.”
The three-month consultation is open to everyone with a view: parents, carers, young people, those who work with children, civil society organisations, academics, and industry.
Dedicated versions have been developed for young people and for parents and carers, making it easier for them to share their experiences and views. These sit alongside the main consultation at www.gov.uk/growing-up-online
The consultation will close on 26 May. Rather than focusing on technical questions about policy mechanisms, it will ask questions about possible solutions and how they work.
As well as how we equip children and young people with the skills and confidence to thrive online and what support parents and families would benefit from in navigating their children’s digital wellbeing.
The Government will respond in the summer, acting swiftly on the evidence gathered.
