The mother of a teenage boy believed to have died while taking part in an online challenge gone wrong has called for the removal of social media platforms until tech companies can prove they are safe.
Ellen Roome is among several parents meeting Sir Keir Starmer on Tuesday as part of a government consultation on a possible social media ban, which ends this week. It will come just over four years since Ms Roome's son, Jools Sweeney, died aged 14 in 2022.
Described by Ms Roome as a "really happy, fun-living popular kid", the teenager had been out for the day with friends, playing football and having pizza, before being found dead inside the family home in Cheltenham. Ms Roome believes her son's social media accounts may confirm her suspicions that he had been taking part in a viral challenge and that it led to his death, but she has been unable to access them. She is also applying for a new inquest to examine how social media contributed to her son's death.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Ms Roome said: "They spend millions and billions of pounds on making their system. They could spend some money on actually fixing their system and say this is now a safe product, and give it back. But until it's safe, I absolutely wholeheartedly say: take it away."
Ms Roome said her son had started using social media during the Covid lockdown and that she, like many parents, believed it was harmless. "Back in 2020 when he first started using it, it was in lockdown, he was an only child, I thought TikTok was all silly dances and we didn't talk about social media like we do now," she said. "Back then, I thought it was harmless, as a group of parents with children of the same age we thought it was just silly fun. What we now know and it's been proven is it's not, I just wish I'd never given it to him."
The government consultation on what action it should take on social media, titled Growing Up In The Online World, could pave the way for an Australia-style ban on under-16s using social media or lead to other measures, such as a limit on scrolling or overnight curfews for children. However, Ms Roome has called for a "drastic decision", such as taking social media away from everyone, as she accused the government of acting too slowly. She said: "He [Sir Keir Starmer] has been kicking it down the road for a long time... come on, get a grip, let's actually stand up, do something, make a drastic decision. I don't care if they take it away for adults and children until it's safe, just take it away, fix it, and then we can give it back."
Parliament has agreed to give the government a flexible power to regulate or block children's use of social media through the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act. On Tuesday morning, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said she will be unstoppable in cracking down on social media harms. But her former Cabinet colleague Wes Streeting warned lawmakers were "asleep at the wheel" on social media and technology regulation. He told the Today programme: "Our approach to mobile phones and social media has been akin to basically saying, 'kids need to learn how to use woodwork, let's give three-year-olds, five-year-olds some saws, some nails and hammers, and leave them unsupervised and see what happens, because they need to learn how to use the tools.'"
On Monday, in a report by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges submitted as part of the consultation, doctors warned that social media was as dangerous as smoking for children. A government spokesperson said: "We are consulting on a wide range of measures, from restricting social media access to potential app curfews, to ensure we get the balance right and protect young people from harm."
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
