Parents across the UK are pleading for help to tear their children away from smartphones, with one mother likening her daughter's phone addiction to 'allowing a crack user to have crack in her bedroom every night,' according to Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts.
Social Media as 'Crack Cocaine for Kids'
Roberts, who founded the parenting forum Mumsnet, told The Mirror that parents are desperate for solutions as addictive algorithms rewire children's brains. She compared social media's infinite scrolling and dopamine hits to cigarettes and hard drugs.
'Social media definitely does have those addictive features,' Roberts said. 'It's that infinite scrolling, autoplay and constant dopamine hits - who knows what it's doing to developing brains.'
Government Ban on Under-16s
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a ban on social media for under-16s, covering platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, Snapchat, and Reddit. The ban is expected to pass by Christmas and take effect by spring 2026.
Roberts welcomed the move but warned it's not enough. 'Big Tech will work hard to defend business models built on keeping young people online,' she said.
Parents' Desperate Stories
Mumsnet users report children waking at night to search for hidden phones, and teachers say kids try to 'zoom in' on physical books. One parent compared her child's phone to hard drugs, while others fear teenage girls are being exposed to suicide sites and unattainable body image ideals.
Mumsnet's 'Other Phone' Solution
In collaboration with Nothing and Safety Mode, Mumsnet developed the 'Other Phone,' a child-safe smartphone with content filtering, location tracking, and limited app access. Roberts said big tech should have created such a device years ago.
'Safety comes first and parents can control the access,' she explained. 'They can decide which apps appear on the phone.'
Call for Tech Accountability
Roberts stressed that tech companies must make platforms safe by design. 'The success of these measures will depend on effective implementation, enforcement and regular monitoring,' she said. 'What matters now is that this commitment endures beyond the headlines.'
