A few years ago, calling for a ban on smartphones for under-16s would have seemed alarmist – a minority viewpoint from pessimistic Luddites and sceptical old fogeys. Now, the idea is not so much a moral panic but a moral consensus: 83 per cent of parents with at least one child between ages 4 and 18 believe that smartphones are harmful to children. Around 58 per cent back a smartphone ban for under-16s, while for primary school parents, support is at 77 per cent.
The MP Miriam Cates has called for a total ban on young people having smartphones and social media to help combat a rise in ‘children addicted to pornography.’ Esther Ghey, the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, is campaigning for a similar ban, and for software to ensure that any ‘inappropriate searches’ are flagged on parents’ phones. Similar suggestions have been made by actress and campaigner Sophie Winkleman. Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly took her own life after looking at self-harm content online, has warned that
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