Key facts
- Nearly half of UK girls (47%) aged 13-17 encountered suicide, self-harm, or eating disorder content on social media in a week.
- A study found 34% of all UK teenagers saw harmful content, a marginal decrease since new safety measures were introduced.
- The research surveyed 1,825 UK children aged 13-17.
- New protections implemented in July last year include age checks and algorithmic restrictions.
- Keir Starmer is expected to announce a ban on harmful social media sites for under-16s.
- Ian Russell, father of Molly Russell, criticized the Online Safety Act's implementation.
Nearly half of girls and a third of all teenagers in the UK have encountered harmful social media content related to suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders within a single week, according to new research from the Molly Rose Foundation (MRF). The study found that 47% of girls aged 13 to 17 viewed such high-risk content, with 34% of all teenagers seeing it. This figure is only slightly lower than the 37% recorded before new safety measures were implemented last summer. The MRF, established in memory of 14-year-old Molly Russell who died by suicide in 2017 after viewing harmful online content, described the situation as a "tsunami of harmful content." The findings are based on a survey of 1,825 UK children aged 13 to 17, conducted by MEL Research with support from the PSHE Association. The research also highlighted that children with low wellbeing (57%) and those with special educational needs (40%) are at an increased risk of exposure. New protections introduced in July last year include age verification measures and requirements for platforms to prevent algorithms from promoting content about self-harm and eating disorders to children. Non-compliance can lead to fines of up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue. In response, Keir Starmer is expected to announce next week a proposal to ban under-16s from accessing harmful social media sites. This follows a government consultation that received approximately 116,000 responses. Ian Russell, Molly's father, criticized the current implementation of the Online Safety Act and urged a focus on product safety risks. A Downing Street spokesperson stated that the government is committed to protecting children and will announce next steps soon. Meanwhile, the Scottish government has called for urgent action, with Scottish minister for children Siobhian Brown set to meet UK AI and online safety minister Kanishka Narayan. Brown plans to advocate for stronger measures, including potentially banning social media use for children and utilizing Ofcom's powers. Separately, a survey by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) found that 51% of adults trust parents most to decide on appropriate platforms for children, followed by independent regulators (49%). The poll also indicated that 44% of adults support a ban on social media for under-16s, while 39% favor stricter regulation. Brown also proposed a social media levy to fund youth mental health programs, framing the issue as a public health matter.