“Parents are desperate for government support against the might of Big Tech” - Mumsnet demands action on kids and social media as new research lays bare the level of children’s addiction to their devices.

New research from Mumsnet has found that 61% of parents say their child is addicted to their smartphone or social media. 

The poll of more than 1000 Mumsnet users also found that: 

• 43% of parents say their child's use of social media affects their ability to focus on schoolwork.

• 39% of parents say their child's use of social media affects their ability to sleep at night.

• 49% of parents say their child's use of social media negatively affects their self esteem (rising to 57% amongst parents of girls).

44% of parents said their child spends two or more hours a day on social media.

This follows previous research which found that 83% of Mumsnet users back a ban on social media for under 16s - and more than half (58%) would be more likely to vote for a political party that pledged to enforce a ban.

Justine Roberts, Mumsnet founder and CEO, said:

"The effect of social media on our kids is a public health crisis, and thus far the government just doesn't seem to have grasped the scale or seriousness of the problem.  We hear repeatedly from Ministers who say they need more evidence before acting but there is already a wealth of evidence which shows the link between social media and children’s deteriorating mental health.  And parents see the proof in their own homes every day. 

“Addictive-by-design social media apps negatively affect children's still-developing brains, regardless of what they're actually doing and seeing. Tech companies have designed algorithms to hook kids in and make them addicts, but the gutting of the Safer Phones Bill suggests that the government is more concerned with keeping Big Tech sweet than protecting our children.

“We know parents are hugely concerned about this. They want their children to have access to smartphones for safety and communication but in doing so they know they're potentially exposing them to addictive algorithms via social media.  Responsible parenting alone cannot counter addictive-by-design technology.   

“This isn't a moral panic - many young people themselves are also desperate for greater protections. At the moment, parents and children are standing alone against the might of Big Tech - they are desperate for government support."

Survey of 1002 Mumsnet users, April/May 2025