Kids spend 21 hours a week on smartphones – as new law unveiled to curb usage

PLANS to cut children’s smartphone use have been unveiled as figures show pre-teens spend 21 hours a week on them.

Proposals include raising the internet “adulthood” age from 13 to 16 to protect kids from addictive material.

Guidance to make schools smartphone-free would be written into law with further rules on the design, supply and marketing of mobiles, if needed.

Regulator Ofcom would get extra powers to spare children exposure to apps and services considered to be harmful.

It comes as research shows the average 12-year-old spends 21 hours a week on smartphones.

The measures aimed at protecting kids from excessive screen time are contained in a private members’ bill introduced by Labour MP Josh MacAlister.

The former teacher, who has cross-party support, said: “Evidence is mounting that children doom-scrolling for hours a day is causing widespread harm.

“Adults find it hard enough to manage screen time, so why are we expecting children to manage this addictive content without some shared rules?

“Parents are in an impossible bind over whether to ostracise their child from social media or expose them to the harms and addiction of content.

“Other countries are taking bold action and our kids risk being left behind.”

Anne Longfield CBE, of the Centre for Young Lives, said: “For too long this has been the elephant in the room.

“We know many children, increasingly from a young age, are spending too much time doom-scrolling on social media apps and how long periods of addictive smartphone screen time can be detrimental.”