More than 800,000 children under the age of five in the UK are being exposed to social media content and algorithms designed for adults, according to alarming new analysis.
"Deeply Alarming" Figures Prompt Minister's Warning
Former schools minister Lord John Nash has issued a stark warning, describing the findings from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) as "deeply alarming". The analysis suggests a significant number of very young children are already active on platforms not built for their developing minds.
Lord Nash, who served between 2013 and 2017, stated that "children who haven't yet learned to read are being fed content and algorithms designed to hook adults." He emphasised that this situation "should concern us all" and called for immediate action to protect the youngest members of society from potential digital harm.
How the Shocking Number Was Calculated
The CSJ reached its figure of 814,000 social media users aged three to five by applying the latest population data to previous Ofcom research. The communications regulator found that nearly 40% of parents of children in this age group reported their child uses at least one social media app or site.
With roughly 2.2 million children in this demographic as of 2024, the CSJ's calculation points to a sharp rise of around 220,000 young users from the previous year. This rapid increase highlights the growing penetration of these platforms into early childhood.
Calls for Legislation and a Public Health Campaign
In response to the data, Lord Nash is advocating for a two-pronged approach. Firstly, he demands "a major public health campaign so parents better understand the damage being done." Secondly, he is pushing for new laws to raise the age limit for social media access to 16, while holding technology companies accountable for failing to keep children off their platforms.
He is among the supporters of the proposed Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which would ban under-16s from social media. A similar law is set to take effect in Australia from 10 December 2025, requiring platforms to take reasonable steps to block under-16s from accounts.
The CSJ also wants to see smartphones banned in all schools to break what it calls the "24-hour cycle of phone use," complementing its call for a wider public health initiative.
However, the proposed bans face some opposition. In Australia, a 15-year-old co-plaintiff in a High Court case argues that such measures could make the internet more dangerous by driving activity underground, and that a better solution would be targeting harmful content directly.
The debate continues in the UK, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting recently voicing his own concerns about the "mind-numbing impact of doomscrolling on social media on young minds." The pressure is now mounting for policymakers and tech giants to find effective solutions to safeguard children's digital wellbeing.
