Social media is damaging mental health of pupils, headteachers say

A survey of headteachers has found that 95 per cent feel that social media use is damaging the mental health and wellbeing of young people.

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) surveyed 460 secondary school headteachers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in January.

They were asked about the impact on pupils of social media use over the past 12 months.

The research found that 95 per cent felt that mental health and wellbeing of a proportion of their pupils had suffered because of social media use.

Almost 40 per cent said that more than half of their pupils were affected.

Nearly all of respondents had received reports of pupils being bullied on social media and 40 per cent said that incidents were reported on a daily or weekly basis.

Almost all (457 respondents) had received reports of pupils encountering upsetting material on social media – such as sexual content, self-harm, bullying, or hate speech – with 27 per cent saying incidents were reported on a daily or weekly basis.

Eighty-nine per cent had received reports of pupils being approached by strangers on social media sites.

Whereas, 93 per cent had received reports of pupils experiencing low self-esteem as a result of seeing idealised images and experiences on social media, with 22 per cent saying that pupils reported such feelings on a daily or weekly basis.

Ninety-six per cent had received reports of pupils missing out on sleep as a result of social media use, with 32 per cent saying they received such reports on a daily or weekly basis.

Nine out of 10 headteachers (93 per cent) said that new laws and regulation should be introduced to ensure social media sites keep children safe, and 77 per cent said the government and social media companies should produce more information for parents.

In October, the government launched a strategy to make Britain “the safest place in the world to be online” with proposals for a voluntary code of practice for social media providers, but the NSPCC wants the code to be mandatory and backed up by an independent regulator.