DR MAX: Why under 18s should be banned from using social media By Dr Max Pemberton For The Daily Mail Published: 02:15, 23 September 2024 | Updated: 02:16, 23 September 2024 e-mail View comments If I told you I'd developed a product that, although it had some uses, was linked to increased anxiety, depression , eating disorders, self-harm and a range of other behavioural and emotional problems, you'd think twice about using it, wouldn't you? If I then said I wanted to give it to your children, you might have something stronger to say about it. But these are precisely the consequences of social media, and yet for years we have been giving our children unfettered access to it. Those of us working in mental health have become all too accustomed to seeing the terrible ill effects of these apps on people's wellbeing – especially children's.
Some social media platforms are taking action - Instagram is launching 'teen accounts', which give parents more control over their children's behaviour on its platform Awareness of mental health issues has improved immensely in recent years – yet where social media is concerned, we've buried our heads in the sand. Now finally, under mounting pressure and the imminent threat of legislation, some social media platforms are – belatedly – taking action. This comes in the wake of several tragic deaths including that of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who took her own life after being exposed to a stream of dark and depressing content on social med.