The Scottish government is inviting families to share their experiences of using smartphones, social media and the internet through surveys aiming to identify what support they need to stay safe online. The initiative comes as ministers seek to understand the impact of screen time on young people’s wellbeing and confidence. Two surveys have been launched to gather this data, with the first focusing on how children and young people use screens, apps and social media. The second targets parents or carers, asking about their own screen use and how confident they feel in supporting their children.
Related: User account blocked after policy breach
While legislation to manage online safety lies with the UK government, Scottish ministers are “focused on what more can be done within devolved powers”. The Scottish government is therefore also conducting a review of more than 140 post-Covid research papers examining the impact of digital media use on the wellbeing of children and young people. The findings from the surveys and the review will be used to deliver new policy to reduce the impact of online harms. Children and young people minister Siobhian Brown said: “Going online and using social media gives young people access to huge amounts of information, which can have positive benefits for their learning and connection to friends, family and the world. However, it can also have a harmful impact on their physical and mental health and wellbeing. We also know parents and carers are worried about how long young people spend online, what content they may be viewing and the addictive nature of some apps.”
Scottish officials have been trying to balance the educational benefits of connectivity with the risks posed by excessive or harmful content. Public health approaches to digital safety suggest that education and support systems—rather than simple bans—are often more effective at mitigating risk. By gathering detailed feedback from the very people using these platforms daily, the government hopes to design interventions that address specific concerns rather than relying on broad, one-size-fits-all solutions. The surveys are completely anonymous and will help us to inform any public health campaign on this important issue. “We will continue to push the UK government to go further – for example we want to see a Social Media Levy applied to online platforms which can then be reinvested back into our young people.”
Related: What Is a Partition Action and When Is It Necessary in Florida?
Brown added that the government is also taking steps within its own powers to ensure children are supported. “However, we are also focused on what we can do within our powers in Scotland to ensure children and young people are safe and supported in their online lives, as part of a public health approach to online safety. “To that end, we are seeking the views of as many people as possible, particularly around what support and information they would find most helpful. The surveys are completely anonymous and will help us to inform any public health campaign on this important issue. “This work comes on top of our action to create phone-free learning environments to ensure pupils can learn free from the disruption associated with mobile phones.”