Nearly half of UK girls saw harmful social media content in a week, research shows
Summary
A study found that nearly half of UK girls aged 13 to 17 saw harmful content like suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders on social media in one week. Despite new safety rules introduced last summer, many children still encounter risky content online, leading to calls for stronger protections.Key Facts
- 47% of girls aged 13 to 17 saw harmful content on social media during a seven-day period.
- 34% of all UK teenagers saw similar content, a slight decrease from 37% before new safety measures.
- The new safety rules include age checks and restrictions on algorithms promoting harmful content.
- Platforms that break these rules can face fines up to £18 million or 10% of their global revenue.
- The UK government plans to discuss banning under-16s from harmful social media sites soon.
- Children with lower wellbeing and special educational needs face higher risks of seeing harmful content.
- The Scottish government wants stronger actions, including a social media tax to fund mental health support.
- Surveys show mixed public trust in who should regulate social media, with many supporting bans or tighter controls.
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