London - Social media is as dangerous to children as smoking, senior British doctors warned Tuesday. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges submitted recommendations to the government, calling for urgent action against excessive screen time.
"It ranks alongside smoking and wearing seatbelts in cars as a unifying force for the medical profession," the Academy noted in its submission, representing 23 royal medical colleges across the UK and Ireland.
In a survey of 132 doctors, over half reported seeing at least one case of tech-related health harm each week, and more than a third saw evidence multiple times a week. Harms include physical injuries from mimicking extreme pornography and mental trauma from exposure to violence online.
Britain is exploring restrictions on children's social media access, including a potential ban for under-16s, curfews, time limits, and curbs on addictive design features.
The UK follows Australia, which last year became the first country to ban social media for children under 16. European countries are also considering similar measures.
Hundreds of British families are testing social media bans and limits to assess their impact on sleep, family life, and school performance.
Experts remain divided on the effectiveness of a total ban, and a group of young people in London told Reuters they are opposed to restrictions.