Screen use, artificial intelligence and social media: Impact on children and young people

The House of Lords is scheduled to debate the following motion on 22 October 2026:

Lord Patel (Crossbench) to move that this House takes note of the effect of artificial intelligence, screen usage and social media on children.

2. How much do children and young people use this technology?

Research has found increasing screen and technology use by children and young people.[1] According to statistics published by Ofcom in May 2026, on average:[2]

In terms of device usage, Ofcom has separately found that:

Just under eight in 10 (78%) children aged 8–17 have their own mobile phone, six in 10 (59%) use a tablet to go online, and 55% use a games console. Ownership of a mobile phone rises sharply from 56% of 10-year-olds to more than eight in 10 (83%) of 11-year-olds. Nearly all (98%) 16–17s own a mobile phone.[3]

Activities involving screen use were found to be the most popular among young people, with playing video games and watching TV the most mentioned. However, sport and spending time with friends and family also ranked in the top six:

Figure 1. Ofcom findings on children and young people’s self-reported favourite activities (ordered by % that listed that activity)

Commenting further on children’s use of screens and the internet, Ofcom found:

The internet is central to most children’s lives, with parents saying that 88% of children aged 3–7, and almost all (99%) children aged 8–17 go online. Over half (55%) of children aged 3–17 play games online.

91% of children aged 4–15 watched some type of audio-visual content on a weekly basis in 2025. Over six in 10 (63%) 4–15s watched some broadcast TV on a weekly basis in 2025, down from 66% in 2024. Time spent viewing of YouTube and other video-sharing platforms (VSPs) increased by 3% between 2024 and 2025, and VSPs account for the largest share of children’s in-home video viewing […][4]

Ofcom also looked into the use of screens among children aged under two for the first time in 2026. Its survey found that 65% of parents of children aged six months to two years said their child went online (mostly through smart TVs or tablets) and 85% said their child sometimes “looks at a screen”.[5] Reasons given by parents for this screen use included:

The following graphic shows the screen time activities of those aged under two years:

Figure 2. Ofcom findings on how children under two years use screens

Ofcom’s reports on children’s media usage have found increasing use of social media by children and young people, including in younger age groups. In its 2026 report, it found that:[6]

However, Ofcom also found the majority of eight to 17-year-olds who used social media stated they were ‘passive’ users (65%); for example, they mainly read, watched, followed or ‘liked’ social media content. Around a third (34%) said they were ‘active’ users, where they would share, comment on or post content.

In its 2025 report, Ofcom found that over two-thirds (68%) of children aged three to 17 were reportedly using social media apps, including 55% of three to 5-year-olds.[7] Commenting further on the prevalence of social media use, Ofcom said:

More than a third (36%) of parents of 3–5s whose child uses at least one social media app or site state that they use social media on their child’s behalf, and over four in 10 (42%) say they use these sites or apps together with their child. However, a further two in 10 (19%) parents of 3–5s who use social media say that their child uses these apps independently.

Eight in 10 of all children (79%) aged 3–17 have their own profile on at least one VSP

, messaging or livestreaming app, or social media site. While seven in 10 3–12-year-olds have at least one such profile, this is almost universal among teens; 97% of 13–17s report that they have at least one profile on these types of sites or app. When focusing on social media apps/sites alone, four in 10 (40%) under-13s have a profile on this type of service.

The younger group (3-12s) are most likely to have a profile on YouTube/YouTube Kids (44%), WhatsApp (23%) and/or TikTok (23%), while 13–17s are most likely to have profiles on WhatsApp (62%), Snapchat (62%) or TikTok (61%).

Four in 10 (37%) parents of 3–17s said they would allow their child to have a profile on social media sites or apps before they had reached the minimum age requirement. Agreement with this statement was highest among parents of 10–12-year-olds, at 50%.[8]

Most social media companies set a minimum age requirement of 13 for using their service. In addition, the Online Safety Act 2023 requires social media companies to enforce any age limits consistently and protect child users.[9]

In its 2026 report on children’s media use, Ofcom reported increasing use of AI (particularly generative AI such as ChatGPT and CoPilot) by young people. It found that 35% of eight to nine-year-olds said they have used AI and reported use by 12 to 17-year-olds was between 63% and 68%.[10] In addition, the report found:

3. How is the technology used and what is the impact?

As set out above, activities involving screen use are increasingly common in children’s lives. As noted in Ofcom’s 2026 report on children’s online experiences, this can involve a range of devices and activities:

Almost all 8–17-year-olds are online (99%) and most (78%) have their own mobile phone—with ownership rising steeply between age 10 and 11 (56% to 83%). The mobile phone was the most common device children use to go online (77% among those who go online)—six in 10 (59%) used a tablet, and 55% used a games console. Watching video content (89%) and gaming online (72%) were among the most popular online activities for children (aged 8–17). Much of the video content consumed is likely to be via social media or video sharing platforms with 95% of children saying they used at least one of these services in the last four weeks.[11]

The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) has also highlighted evidence of inequalities affecting screen use.[12] Findings reported include:

There are a range of reported benefits and negative impacts associated with children’s screen use. Evidence on the negatives of screen use noted by POST includes:

There is particular concern about screen use for under-fives, with the government highlighting how this can impact crucial development:

Ninety per cent of children’s development happens before the age of five. Large amounts of unmanaged screen use can crowd out the activities that matter most at this stage—things like sleep, physical play, creative activities and time spent talking with parents and carers.

Research by early years charity Kindred Squared found that 28% of children starting reception are unable to use a book properly, with some trying to swipe or tap physical pages like a tablet screen. Giving children time away from screens in their early years helps build the social, emotional and language skills they need to start school.[28]

The government recommends two to five-year-olds use a screen no more than one hour a day and for this not to be at mealtimes or just before bed. It recommends under-twos do not use a screen at all, unless as part of “shared activities that encourage bonding, interaction and conversation”; for example, video calls.

Many commentators highlight the importance of screen use being an ‘active’ activity involving parents, particularly for younger children. For example, this could include discussing what is happening on the screen when watching programmes and using educational apps together.[29] POST states:

Evidence suggests that associations can become more favourable when children engage with educational content or use screens alongside actively engaged parents or caregivers. These studies suggest that content and context may be more important determinants of socio-emotional outcomes than screentime alone, with co-use providing opportunities for interaction, discussion and relationship building.[30]

This leads on to several reported benefits of screen use. For example, POST highlighted ways screen use can help with learning and development:

Interactive and educational media can support early learning, including vocabulary, executive functioning and problem-solving. Educational media has been linked to improvements in task orientation, behavioural control and social-emotional learning. Digital play may also promote creativity, pretend play and problem-solving.[31]

POST also reported evidence that gaming can positively influence a range of skills, including memory, cognitive processing, literacy and communication skills.[32]

The House of Commons Education Committee also reported some benefits of screen use in its 2024 report on the subject, including:[33]

The overwhelming weight of evidence submitted to us suggests that the harms of screen time and social media use significantly outweigh the benefits for young children, whereas limited use of screens and genuinely educational uses of digital technology can have benefits for older children. For this reason, screen time should be minimal for younger children and better balanced with face-to-face socialisation and physical activity for older ones.[34]

It called for more to be done to regulate the harms children may face through screen use and going online.

A similar range of issues have been raised about children’s social media use (which forms a part of general screen use). For example, the government has highlighted evidence of the negative impact on sleep and wellbeing. However, it has also flagged that certain “addictive” or persuasive elements of social media design may intensify these problems, such as:

A small study undertaken by the 5Rights Foundation, a campaign group focused on children’s online safety (of which Baroness Kidron (Crossbench) is the founder and honorary president), provides an example of this issue.[36] It analysed the TikTok (a social media site hosting short-form videos) usage of 21 children aged 14 to 16, and found:

In its paper on young people’s social media use, POST stated there was “ongoing debate around how early social media usage affects wellbeing, development, behaviour, learning, identity, and safety”.[37] However, it continued:

Some researchers have highlighted that adolescence is a key developmental period, making this group particularly sensitive to many of social media’s possible impacts. Some experts suggest that regular peer comparison, identity development and expectations to adhere to social norms, alongside potentially limited abilities to critically evaluate content, regulate emotions and manage algorithmic exposure, can make adolescents especially sensitive to the potential impacts of social media.[38]

POST then listed a range of further impacts and potential benefits drawn from evidence.[39] However, it did stress there were some gaps in research and that some experts believe the evidence to be over-estimated, miscommunicated or selectively reported.

Examples of some of the reported negative impacts not referenced above include:[40]

Evidence on the benefits of young people’s social media use highlighted by POST included:[43]

Research on the impact of AI on children and young people is an emerging area. As noted above, children’s use of AI can include support with education or homework, companionship, information seeking, content creation and communication.[44]

In terms of assistance with learning and development, a 2025 survey carried out by the National Literacy Trust included the following findings:[45]

POST reported mixed evidence on the benefits for young people’s development, education and cognition (again, POST emphasised this was an emerging area).[46] It cited evidence AI could support idea generation, learning and problem-solving, but said there were question marks over AI’s impact on longer term or deeper learning and independent thinking. It also stressed the importance of AI literacy and being able to assess AI outputs. Overall, POST stated:

Evidence on the cognitive impacts of GenAI is emerging and, in many cases, is based on relatively small-scale studies conducted in educational settings. Although some evidence suggests that GenAI tools may support learning, idea generation, problem-solving and educational attainment, findings highly depend on how these tools are used and the extent of adult guidance, support and AI literacy.[47]

Similarly, POST noted there was a lack of evidence on AI’s impact on young people’s physical health and emerging information on the technology’s mental health impact.[48] It cited evidence that AI-based mental health apps could be potentially useful for young people, but said there remained issues with quality, reliability and clinical validation. It highlighted a 2025 survey which found that one in four teenagers had used GenAI chatbots for mental health support. It also stated that “several meta-analyses conducted from 2023 to 2025 found statistically significant reductions of immediate short-term mental health symptoms, such as anxiety, when people affected by mental health challenges used AI-based chatbots”.[49]

On social and emotional development POST again cited mixed evidence. On the one hand it said AI use could result in “social deskilling” (reducing interactions with real people), and on the other it said the technology could offer companionship and support to those who need it. However, POST did flag both good and bad examples of the impact of using AI for companionship:

Internet Matters found that 23% of ‘vulnerable children’ reported using AI chatbots because they did not have anyone else to talk to, suggesting that these tools may be filling emotional or social gaps that are not being met offline.

Concerns about AI companions have intensified following high-profile legal cases in the US alleging that conversational AI systems formed emotionally significant relationships with ‘vulnerable’ young users and responded inappropriately to discussions of self-harm and suicide.

Data from Snapchat’s My AI suggests that young people use AI chatbots to support creativity, social connection and relationship-building activities with friends and family.

A 2025 study suggests that AI companions can provide users with a sense of companionship, emotional support and a non-judgemental space for self-disclosure, although these benefits may not fully substitute for human relationships. Researchers suggest that advanced AI assistants may foster ongoing, relationship-like interactions with users, creating opportunities for support and engagement alongside potential risks related to emotional dependence.[50]

There are also ongoing concerns about abuse and harassment of children involving AI. For example, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) said there were more reports of illegal photorealistic AI-generated child sexual abuse images in the first half of 2026 than in the whole of 2025.[51] Young people have also reported a similar rise in AI-generated nude and sexual imagery of themselves.[52]

In addition, in 2024 Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza linked AI to concerns about young people’s futures, including how it would reshape their lives and careers.[53] The commissioner said she’d heard pessimism from young people about AI’s impact on future job availability and on people from poorer backgrounds. She believed “we are yet to understand the true impact of these tools on children’s lives”.

4. What do children and young people think about the technology?

In July 2026 the government published findings from a range of research undertaken to gather the views of children and young people (as well as parents and teachers) on social media, AI and online safety.[54] The research included surveys, consultations and in-person events. Findings included:

Young people often saw social media as “free social infrastructure”. When asked, they said they liked the following aspects of social media:

However, there was also cynicism about social media. The report stated:

Many young people described feeling like they didn’t really choose to be on social media, they were just born into it. The environment grew up around them.[56]

Many young people also said they used social media more than they wanted to. This linked to some of the specific concerns young people raised about social media, which included:[57]

However, although teachers and parents supported the proposed ban on under-16s using social media (covered in section 5 of this briefing), only 29% of young people supported it. Instead, 48% of young people suggested under-16s should be allowed on some platforms but not others.

There were two main reasons given for opposing the proposed ban. First, child respondents argued it would not work. They said it would be easy to get around by lying about your age, bypassing checks or getting others to log in on your behalf. Second, they said a ban would be “unfair”. They said “it would remove a digital space they didn’t choose to grow up in, but which had become a central part of their social lives”. They also highlighted those who did not have alternative ways to stay connected.

Young people instead strongly supported targeted changes to improve their use of social media. For example, 76% of young people agreed that restricting certain features would make social media safer for children. This concept was also strongly backed by teachers and parents.

Ideas raised to improve young people’s experience of social media, instead of banning it, included:

The government said that AI was brought up regularly by young people in the study.[58] Positives raised about AI included that it was practical and educational, allowed quick answers, help with learning and creative support. Concerns raised included misinformation and deepfakes, AI chatbots acting like romantic partners or friends, over-reliance on AI for schoolwork (therefore undermining independent thinking), its use for extremist content or radicalisation, and the environmental impact.

The young people involved in the study called for mandatory labelling of AI-generated content and age restrictions for using specific AI features. For example, around 83–85% of both parents and young people aged 16 to 21 supported minimum age requirements for AI chatbots.

5. What is being done to support and protect young people using this technology?

There are laws already in place offering some protections for young people in terms of online content. For example, there are a number of laws which make indecent AI images of children illegal (including creating or distributing such images) and the Online Safety Act 2023 requires certain online platforms, including social media platforms and sites hosting pornographic content, to take measures to prevent children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content.[59]

In June 2026 Sir Keir Starmer’s government announced that it would legislate to ban under-16s from social media platforms.[60] The government then announced further linked proposals in July 2026 following a consultation on children’s online experiences. It said it would:

Further detail on these proposals can be found in the government’s consultation outcome paper: ‘Growing up in the online world: Government response’ (July 2026). For example, the document explains that the government’s plans for restricting access to AI chatbots would include mandatory break periods to support healthier habits. It linked this to concerns that human-seeming chatbots may impact young people’s social and emotional development.

As mentioned above, the government has issued guidance on screen use for the under-5s.[62] In June 2026 it announced it would also be issuing guidance for parents on screen use of children aged five to 16.[63] The guidance will be informed by a call for evidence and an independent expert group co‑chaired by Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza and Professor Russell Viner (a paediatrician and a former chief scientific adviser to the government).

In addition, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Lisa Nandy gave a statement in the House of Commons on 8 September 2026 outlining further government commitments in relation to child safety online.[64] This included:

She called for technology companies to start working on these changes and said the government would be monitoring developments, which in turn could help shape the legislation. She said the sector had shown it could “innovate at an extraordinary pace when the chips are down”.[65] She also said the government had been working with Google and Apple and that both companies have now developed “meaningful changes at operating level to make it harder for children to share nude imagery”.[66]

The government has said that it plans to lay regulations for the social media ban by the end of 2026 and for the ban to come into force in the spring of 2027.[67]

The government’s announcements were backed by opposition parties. However, they urged the government to act more swiftly on getting the measures in place.[68]

The House of Commons Education Committee also welcomed the government’s plans.[69] It had previously published recommendations for the introduction of a social media ban for under-16s, restrictions on addictive design features (such as infinite scrolling) and new guidance for screen use.

Subsequently, at a 27 September 2026 panel event hosted by the Molly Rose Foundation (a charity focused on children’s online safety), Lisa Nandy gave further details on the government’s planned regulatory approach, saying it would focus on the safety of online features and design (sometimes referred to as ‘safety-by-design’ and ‘safety-by-feature’). She explained:

We’re going to do proper, comprehensive legislation so that it doesn’t just incorporate the specific apps, it incorporates the features that we believe are not safe […] So there will be a way for companies, if they want to innovate and they want to change, to be able to get themselves essentially off that list. But that’s up to them. We believe that’s their choice. They can decide to innovate if they want to, and we believe they should because we think they have their social and moral obligations. But whether they do it or not, the government has an obligation here and we intend to act.[70]

This was welcomed by the 5Rights Foundation, which described it as a “meaningful step towards holding companies responsible for children’s online safety”.[71] Its head of UK affairs, Colette Collins-Walsh, said:

The government has recognised that children’s safety online cannot depend on whether an individual platform happens to be on a list. Harmful features are built into products and services across the digital ecosystem, from social media and gaming, to EdTech and AI. This is an opportunity to put meaningful responsibility on the companies creating those risks, and to ensure that safety is built into digital products and services from the outset, moving us closer to a good childhood in the digital age.[72]

However, some concerns have been raised about the planned social media ban for under-16s. For example, the social media companies themselves have reportedly criticised the planned ban and argued it may lead to children using more unregulated services. The Guardian reported the following statements:

A spokesperson for Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said: “As we’ve seen in Australia [Australia introduced a social media ban in 2025[73], bans risk isolating teens from online communities and information, and driving them to unregulated alternatives that lack built-in protections and parental controls”.

YouTube said in a statement: “Blanket bans push kids out of such curated, supervised, beneficial experiences and towards anonymous, less-safe services.”

And Snapchat said: “Because the majority of time spent on Snapchat is in private messaging between friends and family, an outright ban that disconnects teens from those relationships doesn’t make them safer—it may simply push them to less safe platforms”.[74]

In an article on the issue of social media bans, where it again argues it can lead to children and young people bypassing bans or using less regulated services, Meta instead recommends age verification and parental approval is enforced on device app stores when children and young people try to download the relevant app.[75]

In addition, the Children’s Society said a ban would remove the benefits of social media some young people experience, such as community and exploring interests.[76] It also raised concerns about young people trying to get around the ban or seeking out alternative unregulated services. Linked to this issue, it said a ban could make it harder for children and young people to “reach out for support for anything inappropriate experienced or seen online out of fear that the response would be ‘you shouldn’t be on it’”.

The Children’s Society instead made several alternative recommendations, including: