The UK government’s national consultation on how children use digital technology and potential restrictions on social media closes this week. The consultation received 70,000 responses from charities, campaigners, and the public with their views on a ban or possible interventions. These include banning certain features, introducing night-time curfews, disabling autoplay and infinite scroll, tightening age checks, and limiting children’s access to AI chatbots. Several organisations argue that regulation should focus on specific platform features rather than banning entire apps, with police leaders suggesting that “high-risk” features such as private messaging should…
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A government-commissioned review led by former Labour minister Alan Milburn warns that Britain risks creating an “anxious generation” of young people struggling to adapt to modern working life. Milburn says the government spends 25 times as much on benefits for young people than it does on supporting them into work, which he describes as “shameful”. Nearly one million 16- to 24-year-olds are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET), with mental health issues now cited as the main barrier to…
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Researchers from Linköping University in Sweden have published new research looking at how teenage girls make meaning of the mental health content provided by popular online influencers. The research, published in the journal Childhood, was inspired by what the authors describe as the “pressing issue” of how children and young people’s health and well-being are affected by social media. While existing research had measured the effects of social media on aspects of young people’s lives, including…
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Published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, a first-of-its-kind essay, written by young people on the “harm that leaves no bruises”, combines lived experience and scientific evidence to highlight the impact of harmful adult language. The essay describes how harsh language from adults – including blaming, shaming, humiliating, and criticising – can become “an inner voice that did not begin as our own”, shaping children’s sense of self, safety, and belonging. FK&Y research found that…
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Research by the Institute of Cancer Research and Imperial College London finds that eleven cancers are becoming more common in young people in England. These include bowel cancer, thyroid, multiple myeloma, liver, kidney, gallbladder, pancreatic, endometrial, mouth, breast and ovarian cancers, with bowel and breast cancers the most common in younger adults. Researchers analysed national data on cancer rates and lifestyle trends to understand why cases are increasing among people in their late teens through to…
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Children’s charity Words Matter has launched a new free, evidence-based resource for teachers designed to support classroom communication and help strengthen children’s sense of belonging so that they feel valued, safe, and ready to learn. Words Matter: A practical guide for communicating with children in any classroom so that they flourish has been developed in collaboration with Dr Fiona Pienaar, a child and adolescent mental health specialist and former teacher, and Delyth Lynch, Director of Safeguarding at Wellington College….
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Sweden is scaling back the use of digital devices in schools, with a focus instead on printed books and handwriting. The move follows growing concern among educators and policymakers that heavy reliance on tablets and laptops may be contributing to a decline in basic literacy skills and students’ ability to concentrate. Preschools in Sweden will no longer be required to use digital tools, and children under the age of two will not be given tablets….
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The Molly Rose Foundation commissioned YouthInsight, Australia, to carry out the first large-scale research with children aged 12-15 in Australia to explore their response to the  social media ban, introduced in Australia at the end of last year. The research with 1,050 young people found that three in five (61%) who had accounts on restricted platforms before the ban still have access to at least one account. More than half of those who previously used…
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A new survey from the NASUWT teaching union suggests nearly 3 in 4 UK secondary teachers are considering leaving the profession due to burnout. The same survey of NASUWT members shows 70% report stress at work has had an impact on their teaching, with 34% explaining this stress had been significant and severe. The survey speaks to 1,000 UK secondary school teachers in both state and independent schools. Teachers are aware that stress can have…
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Australia’s internet regulator has warned that major social media platforms are failing to fully enforce the country’s ban on under-16s, introduced in late 2025. The law applies to 10 platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube, but many children still appear to have access to these platforms. In its first report since the ban, the regulator said it had identified “a number of poor practices” from the five platforms. This includes allowing users who…
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