Brain experts tell the UK government there's 'very little' scientific
evidence that phones are harming kids but a social media ban is going ahead anyway

Date:
Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:40:38 +0000

Description:
A few words from the academics speaking at the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee in the House of Parliament.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Experts say more evidence is needed on kids' phone use They were speaking in a House of Commons Select Committee Right now "almost everything is correlational" The UK government
has now put in motion a plan to ban under-16s from accessing social media content in apps such as Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok but elsewhere in the corridors of Westminster, experts are advising politicians that there's not much in the way of solid evidence when it comes to phone use and the
childhood brain.

Speaking at the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee this week in the House of Commons (via The Register ), academics said that there just isn't enough data to show how social media and phone use might be shaping young minds as they develop. "There is very little, if any, causal research in the early years," said Professor Denis Mareschal, who is the director of the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development at Birkbeck College. "Almost everything is correlational." Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

Those views were echoed by University of Cambridge Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore who said that the impact of "digital devices or social media" on adolescent brains amounted to "almost nothing". "There are a few small studies, but they haven't been replicated, and they're purely correlational," she said. No precise age cut-off UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a social media ban for under-16s (Image credit: Getty Images) However, while it's a case of more research needed, the experts certainly didn't dismiss concerns over child safety either. The panel acknowledged that reward and self-control systems in the brain are still forming during childhood and adolescence, and that even adults find phone use and social media addictive. You may like Medical report links social media use in children to tobacco use UK bans social media ban for under-16s all the latest news live UK still considers social media ban as Australia struggles with enforcement

Dr Dusana Dorjee, from the University of York, made the point that time spent on a device is time not spent playing or interacting with others. A lack of that kind of multi-sensory input could be having an impact, she suggested.

As you would expect, there were questions about suitable age for letting children have phones and use social media, but according to Blakemore "what neuroscience can't do is pinpoint a precise age" there's just too much variation between individuals. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

AI chatbots were brought up too, but the answer was the same: we urgently
need more evidence for their effects on kids and how they are relating to tools like ChatGPT. While there are a lot of worries and stories around these child safety issues, we're still waiting for the large-scale studies that can provide some definitive, data-led answers. Follow TechRadar on Google News
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/social-media/brain-experts-tell-the-uk-gov ernment-theres-very-little-scientific-evidence-that-phones-are-harming-kids-bu t-a-social-media-ban-is-going-ahead-anyway


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