By: All Party Parliamentary Group on Social Media and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Inquiry
April 18, 2018
For a growing number of people of all ages, spending hours on social media is now a completely normal part of their daily routine. Particularly for young people, the use of social media is an integral part of their lives. Even though there has been a steep rise in the use of social media, there has been a lack of legislative response to regulate social media platforms, given the huge influence they have on everyday life, especially for young people.
Our Inquiry shows that there are aspects of social media which are positive – particularly for bringing together people with similar interests, reducing loneliness and helping communities stay in touch. However, there are also several aspects of social media that can have very damaging effects on young people’s mental health and wellbeing. Therefore, it is paramount that we protect young people to ensure they are kept safe and healthy when they are online. That is why our recommendations seek to improve measures to protect the vulnerable.