tech
January 22, 2026
Children need protecting from social media – and generative AI
Dr Madeline G Reinecke says any policy focused on protecting children must broaden its scope beyond traditional social media platforms, while Alexandra Cocksworth says real connections are crucial. Plus a letter from Ali Oliver
TL;DR
- UK government is consulting on a potential ban of social media for under-16s.
- Experts suggest extending this consultation to include generative AI access for minors.
- Concerns about digital harms, mental health, social comparison, and addiction apply to AI.
- Adolescence is a critical period for identity and social development, making AI's role significant.
- Policy should address safeguards against manipulation and dependency from AI simulations of connection.
- The consultation should incorporate evidence from developmental psychology, AI ethics, and youth perspectives.
- A broader approach is needed to consider the types of relationships future generations will form with technology.
- Teachers and educational leaders express long-standing concerns about the mental health crisis linked to social media.
- Calls are made for regulating access to addictive platforms during adolescent vulnerability.
- Recommendations include promoting analogue connections through sports, music, and youth clubs.
- Reports highlight a generation increasingly isolated despite constant connectivity.
- Without intervention, excessive screen time and its negative impacts are predicted to worsen.
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