The grieving parents of a 16-year-old boy who took his own life after struggling with a severe screen addiction have joined urgent calls for a ban on social media for children under 16. Chris and Jo Barber lost their son, Leo, in November 2023 following months of depression that was closely linked to his extreme use of a phone and computer.
A Descent Into Isolation and Online Harm
Leo Barber, from Beckenham in southeast London, was diagnosed with autism and became increasingly withdrawn. He turned to online chat and gaming platforms, primarily Discord and Steam, to communicate with others over the internet. Both platforms have a minimum age requirement of 13.
His father, Chris Barber, 51, expressed a harrowing fear that his son had also 'suffered self-radicalisation' after discovering he had accessed a US-based website discussing suicide. Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Mr Barber argued that a legislative ban for under-16s would provide a crucial tool for parents. It would create a clear societal standard, similar to smoking, making it easier to have difficult conversations about online dangers.
However, he cautioned that a ban alone is insufficient without parental oversight. 'Leo would have had no problems bypassing security measures... with a VPN,' he stated. Mr Barber believes the ultimate solution is to hold platforms legally liable for the content published by their users, which he says would force dangerous sites to 'disappear overnight'.
A Call for Protection of Vulnerable Young People
Leo's mother, Jo Barber, 53, highlighted the acute vulnerability of neurodiverse children, who often experience isolation leading to an over-reliance on screens. 'No child should feel like suicide is their only option,' she said, adding that the trauma of Leo's death would never leave her. 'There are too many neurodiverse teens in crisis and too many being lost to suicide.'
In the year before his death, Leo's mental health had deteriorated to the point where he could no longer attend school. Tragically, on the night of November 28, 2023, he left the family home and took his own life at a nearby train station.
Afterwards, Mr Barber accessed Leo's laptop and was horrified to find his son had been frequenting suicide forums for some time, having used a fake date of birth to access them. 'Parents desperately need more help in getting children off smartphones and online platforms,' he pleaded.
Coroner's Verdict and Global Precedent
At the inquest into Leo's death at South London Coroners' Court in September, assistant coroner Edmund Gritt recorded a verdict of suicide. He subsequently issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report, addressed to a senior Google executive. In it, he concluded that Leo's exposure to the suicide website probably reinforced his decision to end his life and contributed to his death.
The case emerges as other nations take action. Australia has become the first country to ban under-16s from using almost all social media apps. Meta reported blocking nearly 550,000 accounts in the first month of the Australian ban.
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