Kids 'doom scrolling' on mobiles at risk of harm

CHILDREN who are "doom scrolling" for hours a day on smartphones are at risk of widespread harm, an MP has warned.

The equivalent of "seatbelt" legislation is needed for children and their social media use to help them manage addictive content, according to former teacher Josh MacAlister.

Tomorrow, the Labour MP for Whitehaven and Workington will introduce a Private Member's Bill (PMB) in Parliament on protecting children from harms caused by excessive screen time The Bill, which aims to empower families and teachers to cut down on children's daily smartphone screen time, will call for a legal requirement to be introduced so all schools in England are mobile-free zones.

In February, schools in England were given guidance under the former Conservative government intended to stop the use of mobile phones during the school day, but it is currently non-statutory.