‘Social media should be treated like tobacco’: Health experts say internet is as bad as smoking for under-16s as UK government moves closer to ban

• A medical report compares the threats posed by social media to smoking
• Doctors are encouraged to ask young patients about their screen time
• The UK government is weighing a blanket ban on social media use for under-16s, but some are calling for a different approach

Health experts have compared the health risks of young people’s use of social media to the dangers of smoking, as the UK government moves closer to introducing a ban on social media for under-16s.

The British Academy of Medical Royal Colleges says in a report that social media use poses significant harm to children who are “continuously exposed to hateful, addictive and grossly disturbing content”. The report, submitted as part of the government’s consultation process, also says young people’s use of social media now ranks alongside smoking and seat belt use “as a unifying force for the medical profession”.