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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Heather Stewart Special correspondent

‘Our kids are suffering’: calls for ban on social media to protect under-16s

Brianna and Esther Ghey
Esther Ghey, right, pictured with her daughter, Brianna. After the teenager’s murder her mother has highlighted the danger of smartphone use among children. Photograph: Family handout

Many parents of digitally obsessed teens must have wished they could bin their smartphones. As evidence mounts about the risks of social media, there is a growing public clamour to protect children better – with some now even calling for a ban.

The debate in the UK took on a fresh resonance in recent days after Esther Ghey, the mother of the murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, added her voice to those highlighting the dangers of smartphones.

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