UK’s Top Doctors Warn Social Media Is Becoming A Major Health Threat For Young People

UK’s Top Doctors Warn Social Media Is Becoming a Major Health Threat for Young People Social media use now ranks alongside smoking as one of the biggest threats to the health of young people, according to the UK’s most senior doctors, who are urging the government to introduce tougher protections for children online.The warning comes from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, which represents 23 medical colleges and faculties across the UK and Ireland. In a submission to a government consultation on online safety for under-16s, the group said excessive and unrestricted exposure to social media and digital devices is causing growing physical and mental health harm among children and teenagers.

The Academy said concerns about social media have become a “unifying force” for doctors in the same way smoking and seatbelt safety once did. Senior clinicians

• Anxiety and depression linked to online content
• Sleep disruption caused by excessive screen time
• Exposure to violent or harmful material
• Self-harm and suicide-related content
• Addictive platform features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay More than half of 132 doctors surveyed said they encounter technology-related health harms in young patients every week, while more than a third said they see such cases several times weekly. The warning comes as the UK government reviews possible new rules aimed at protecting children online. Measures under
• Banning social media for under-16s
• Night-time app curfews
• Disabling autoplay and infinite scroll features
• Stronger age verification systems
• Restrictions on AI chatbots for minors

Liz Kendall said the government plans to introduce new measures before the end of the year after reviewing responses from a national consultation that received around 70,000 submissions. Campaigners and experts remain divided over whether banning children from social media entirely is the best solution. Some groups, including police leaders and bereaved families, support stronger restrictions. Families who say social media contributed to the deaths of their children are reportedly meeting Prime Minister Keir Starmer to demand urgent action.Others argue that existing online safety laws should simply be enforced more effectively rather than introducing blanket bans. Critics also point to concerns about whether age restrictions can truly be enforced, referencing ongoing issues with Australia’s under-16 social media ban. While doctors are sounding the alarm, researchers note there is still no universal scientific consensus that all screen time is inherently harmful to children. However, studies increasingly suggest links between heavy social media use and risky health behaviours, poor mental wellbeing, and sleep problems among young people.Health experts say the concern is less about screens themselves and more about the design of platforms that encourage compulsive use and expose young users to harmful or addictive content. The comments from Britain’s leading doctors mark one of the strongest warnings yet from the medical establishment about the impact of social media on children’s health. The comparison with smoking reflects growing concern that governments may eventually regulate social media platforms

• Stronger safety rules
• Age restrictions
• Advertising controls
• Design limitations aimed at reducing addiction

The UK government is expected to announce its response to the consultation later this summer.