M
Member
Speaking in the House of Lords on 23 June 2025
Debate
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools BillContribution
Many parents recognise these issues but face what economists would call a collective action problem. No parent wants their child to be the only one without access to digital social networks. Parent groups such as Smartphone Free Childhood, SafeScreens, Delay Smartphones and the Mumsnet “Rage Against the Screen” campaign are all advocating for precisely the kind of co-ordinated action that we are proposing. The Children’s Commissioner has warned that we will look back horrified at what we allowed. A screen-based childhood impacts everything from mental health to school readiness. As we heard earlier, Health Professionals for Safer Screens says that the physical health impacts include myopia in young children and speech and language delay.
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