Sometimes the problems of the world seem so huge that it’s hard to know where to start.

And in the last fifty years we’ve seen a huge emphasis on the individual to figure life out on their own.

I’m hugely supportive of personal responsibility, but I also think there is so much we can do together at a community, local, regional, government and global level to improve our day to day lives.

Until now we have expected parents to control their children’s phone use. But now it’s time for a closer look. 

That’s why I recently joined more than 60 other MPs in calling for change. We are asking the government to implement a minimum age for social media access for children aged 16 and under; and for tech companies to enforce this.

Social media is designed to be addictive. But while we ban smoking, alcohol and gambling for children, we are living in a world where the average 12‑year‑old now racks up 29 hours a week staring at their phone. That is the rough equivalent of a full week of school lessons.

For boys, going from zero to five hours of social media a day doubles depression rates; for girls, rates triple.

Tech giants have had a free run for too long

When I spoke to young people in Berwick last week, the conversation was pretty telling. At first, they stressed the positives of social media in reducing loneliness and isolation, but they could also see how these platforms can cause these issues too and told me that if they weren’t on social media so much, they’d likely spend more time with their friends out in the real world.

The pandemic forced us online for connection, but we’re no longer in lockdown. This is a golden opportunity to take our children out of a lawless online world and return them to team sports, youth clubs, and activities that add to their self esteem instead of undermining it.

We, as adults, are far from helpless. Tech giants have had a free run for far too long. And they’ve used it to steal our children’s childhoods while freely admitting they don’t let their own children participate.

So while a ban may be difficult to enforce, it still sends a crystal clear message. Our children’s attention is not for sale. As a community and a country, pushing back effectively might not solve every problem, but it’s a great place to start.