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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Geraldine McKelvie

Ban social media for under-16s, top teaching union urges UK government

NASUWT United Kingdom Matt Wrack Mental Health
A boy using a mobile phone
Oftsed has also said social media is ‘chipping away’ at children’s attention spans and aggravating bad behaviour. Photograph: David Burton/Alamy

One of the UK’s biggest teaching unions has called on the government to ban social media for under-16s over concerns about mental health and concentration.

The Teachers’ Union (NASUWT) wants legislation to be tightened so big tech firms would face penalties for allowing children to access their platforms.

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