Suffolk parents urge MPs to raise social media age to 16

Daisy Greenwell, co-founder of of Smartphone Free Childhoods, has said that hundreds of Suffolk parents have called on their MPs to back raising the social media age to 16. <i>(Image: Alastair Bartlett Tilt Shift Creative via Daisy Greenwell)</i>
Daisy Greenwell, co-founder of of Smartphone Free Childhoods, has said that hundreds of Suffolk parents have called on their MPs to back raising the social media age to 16. (Image: Alastair Bartlett Tilt Shift Creative via Daisy Greenwell)
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Parents across Suffolk have sent hundreds of emails to their MPs in under two days, calling on them to back legislation that would raise the minimum age for social media to 16.

More than 700 emails have been sent to MPs in the county as part of a nationwide surge which has seen more than 100,000 letters sent to MPs in the country in just 36 hours.

The letters are urging them to support a proposed amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill which is currently before the House of Lords.

Campaigners say this is being done due to concerns for children's online safety.

Woodbridge mum, Daisy Greenwell, co-founded Smartphone Free Childhoods under two years ago with a WhatsApp group which has now grown into a movement of more than 400,000 families in the UK and more than 40 international spin-offs.

Suffolk parents are urging MPs to raise the legal age to 16 for using social media (Image: Yui Mok/PA Wire)

She said: "Parents in Suffolk are sending a very clear message.

"This isn't about party politics, it's about protecting children from addictive, algorithm-driven platforms and making it easier for families to hold the line together.

"When thousands of parents act at the same time, MPs listen."

Teaching unions including the National Education Union and NASUWT have called for raising the age on social media to 16 and senior government figures have already expressed their support for the bill.

This concern is being shared internationally, with Australia raising the minimum age for social media to 16 in December and other countries including France, Spain, Denmark, Norway and Malaysia all heading in the same direction.

The amendment is expected to be debated in the House of Lords in the coming days and if successful, would return to the House of Commons for a further vote.

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