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  • Screen time can damage under-twos’ development, landmark study suggests

    Exclusive: Researchers call for urgent investigation of risks to babies of tablets, smartphones and other digital devices Screen time for babies and toddlers under the age of two has been linked with long-term negative effects on health and quality of life and should be avoided, according to a landmark study. It warns that using screens…

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  • Instagram to alert parents if teens repeatedly search self-harm terms

    Feature for supervised accounts rolls out as Meta platform faces US trials over alleged harms to children Instagram will start alerting parents if their kids repeatedly search for terms clearly associated with suicide or self-harm. The announcement on Thursday comes as Instagram’s parent company, Meta, is in the midst of two trials over harms to…

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  • Mumsnet calls for under-16s social media ban with cigarette-style health warnings

    Resembling cigarette packet warnings, the ads highlight dangers and urge people to email MPs Mumsnet has launched a campaign to introduce a ban on social media for under-16s featuring health warnings in the style of those on cigarette packets. The deliberately provocative national advertising campaign calls for all social media to be banned for children…

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  • Schools in England should be phone-free all day, education secretary says

    Bridget Phillipson says pupils should not use mobiles at any point, as Ofsted prepares to inspect compliance UK politics live – latest updates Schools should be phone-free throughout the entire day, the education secretary has told headteachers in England, stressing that pupils should not use the devices even as calculators or for research. Bridget Phillipson…

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  • ‘I feel it’s a friend’: quarter of teenagers turn to AI chatbots for mental health support

    Experts warn of dangers as England and Wales study shows 13- to 17-year-olds consulting AI amid long waiting lists for services It was after one friend was shot and another stabbed, both fatally, that Shan asked ChatGPT for help. She had tried conventional mental health services but “chat”, as she came to know her AI…

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  • Instagram still poses risk to children despite new safety tools, says Meta whistleblower

    Meta rejects review findings, which claim two-thirds of new features designed to protect young people are ‘woefully ineffective’ Children and teenagers are still at risk from online harm on Instagram despite the rollout of “woefully ineffective” safety tools, according to research led by a Meta whistleblower. Two-thirds (64%) of new safety tools on Instagram were…

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