http://www.healthprofessionalsforsaferscreens.org/

Health Professionals For Safer Screens, London (2026)

10/06/2026

Earlier this week, Health Professionals for Safer Screens was proud to be represented by Dr Helen Mollard at the Child Protection and Online Harms Conference, an important national event exploring the impact of online harms on children and young people.

Helen joined a distinguished panel of speakers and attendees, including Simon Bailey CBE, former Chief Constable of Norfolk Police and the UK’s former National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Child Protection and Abuse Investigation. Widely recognised as one of the country’s leading voices on child protection and safeguarding, Simon has played a pivotal role in shaping national responses to child exploitation and online harms.

Alongside leading voices from policing, safeguarding, healthcare and bereaved families advocating for change, Helen shared the growing body of evidence linking excessive smartphone use to a range of physical, mental and developmental harms.

The conference also heard from bereaved parents and campaigners including Ellen Roome MBE and Esther G**y, whose powerful advocacy continues to drive greater awareness, accountability and legislative change in the online safety space.

Representing HPFSS, Helen spoke about the need for greater public awareness of smartphone harms, highlighting emerging evidence around childhood myopia, mental health, social development and excessive screen exposure. She also emphasised the important role health professionals can play by routinely asking young people about screen use and social media when assessing wellbeing.

As awareness grows, so too does the need for informed conversations between parents, educators, healthcare professionals and policymakers.

We are grateful to the organisers for bringing together experts, practitioners, bereaved families and campaigners committed to creating a safer digital environment for children and young people.

08/06/2026

This morning on BBC Breakfast, HPFSS founding member and consultant child psychiatrist Dr Emily Sehmer welcomed the Government’s new consultation on guidance for parents of children aged 5–16, covering everything from social media and smartphones to wider digital habits.

For years, health professionals, educators and bereaved families have been calling for clear, evidence-based guidance to help parents navigate the realities of modern childhood. Not because we want a “nanny state”, but because families have been left to manage an unprecedented challenge with little consistent support or advice.

As Dr Sehmer explained, the landscape of childhood has changed dramatically. Clinicians are seeing increasing levels of social isolation, school avoidance, low self-esteem, body image concerns, social withdrawal and children becoming disconnected from family life as more of their world moves online.

Technology can bring benefits, but parents deserve honest information about the risks too. That is why clear, consistent guidance matters. When the message is aligned across government, health professionals and schools, parents are better equipped to make informed decisions for their own families.
This consultation is an important step forward and one that health professionals have long been urging the Government to take.

Now parents, professionals and policymakers have an opportunity to help shape what comes next.

While we await the Government’s guidance, parents can find practical advice, screen time resources and family support tools on the HPFSS website.

31/05/2026

The world is facing a rapid collapse in birth rates.

And researchers are increasingly asking whether smartphones and digital life may be part of the story.

A new working paper by economists Nathan Hudson and Hernan Moscoso-Boedo examined fertility trends alongside the rollout of broadband and 4G technology in the US and UK.

Their findings suggest areas that received high-speed mobile connectivity earlier also experienced faster declines in birth rates among young people.

The paper does NOT claim smartphones are the sole cause of falling fertility.

But it raises important questions about how digital life may be reshaping: • in-person socialising • relationships • loneliness • coupling • wellbeing • and long-term family formation

Some of the findings include:
• OECD median fertility fell from 1.71 in 2007 to 1.44 in 2023 • US fertility fell from 2.12 to 1.62 over the same period • In-person socialising among young adults has fallen sharply • Teen birth rates in the US fell by 71% between 2007 and 2024 • Among 15–24-year-olds, in-person socialising fell by 34%

The researchers suggest the digital environment may be changing how young people spend time together, form relationships and build social connection.

This sits alongside growing concern around: • loneliness • declining adolescent wellbeing • reduced face-to-face interaction • social media dependency • and the replacement of offline life with screen-based experiences

The paper is currently a working paper published on SSRN and has not yet been peer-reviewed, but it adds to a growing body of discussion about how digital environments may be shaping society far beyond attention spans or classroom distractions.

The question is becoming much bigger than screen time.
It may increasingly be about what happens to human connection itself when life moves primarily onto screens.

To learn more head to the link in our bio and read the blog.

Research paper: “Wide and Shallow: Digital Technology and the Post-2007 Fertility Decline” Nathan Hudson & Hernan Moscoso-Boedo

26/05/2026

“22 medical colleges have sounded the alarm.” Dr Becky Foljambe, HPFSS founder.

The Times today highlights growing pressure on the government to act on social media harms facing children with HPFSS, bereaved families and senior medical leaders all calling for urgent action. A new Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) report has been submitted to the government consultation today on social media harms and children.

The AoMRC, representing 22 UK medical colleges and described as the largest voice of the medical profession in the UK, warned that children are being continuously exposed to “hateful, addictive and grossly distressing content”.

Our HPFSS members involved in the report described treating children linked to: • Online su***de pacts • Self-harm content • Violent and torture videos • Extreme pornography • Radicalisation • Severe social media addiction

One GP described a ten-year-old child becoming “obsessed with gore and murder” after prolonged exposure to violent online content.

The Academy compared today’s online harms crisis to smoking and seatbelt safety warning that the medical profession has “been here before”.

Dr Becky Foljambe, said:
“A public health emergency for children requires the appropriate response, which only the government can now deliver and lead on.”
“There has been no moment more important than this to create a new law imposed on companies, that keeps them away from our children under 16.”

Today, bereaved families, including Ellen Roome, are finally meeting Sir Keir Starmer in Downing Street as pressure intensifies on the government to act on online harms affecting children.

Baroness Luciana Berger warned: “There really is no time to wait.”

HPFSS is proud to have contributed to the growing public health movement pushing for meaningful protections for children online and to see the voices of doctors, clinicians, bereaved parents and campaigners becoming increasingly impossible to ignore.

To read the full report from AoMRC head to the link in our bio.

21/05/2026

Fred Thomas MP raised an important point in Parliament this week during questioning to Liz Kendall Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology

While there is clear public concern around the impact of social media on children, many parents simply do not have the time to complete a lengthy and convoluted consultation process (over sixty questions 🫣)

Fred Thomas highlighted growing concern around: 👉 the framing of some consultation questions 👉 prompts encouraging consideration of the “benefits” of social media 👉 how evidence from medical experts and frontline professionals will be weighted against submissions from tech companies with commercial interests 👉 and the use of AI in analysing responses

Importantly, Health Professionals for Safer Screens was directly referenced alongside leading medical organisations and expert voices contributing evidence.

The Government confirmed that: 👉 over 38,000 parents have already responded 👉 medical professionals and Royal Colleges have submitted evidence 👉 and there is still time for more voices to be heard

But time is running out.

We know many parents, carers, teachers and health professionals agree that action is urgently needed but lengthy consultations can feel overwhelming and inaccessible.

That is exactly why we a very quick response guide which takes less than 60 seconds to complete.

If you have been meaning to respond but haven’t had the time, please do it today. We do not have time on our side, the consultation ends on May 26th so it is vital the Government listens to you.

📍Simple consultation response is linked in bio.

Every response matters. Every voice counts. The consultation closes in just days.

20/05/2026

We were delighted to see valued HPFSS member and Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist Sandy Chappell speaking at Nursery World’s Big Day Out 2026, one of the UK’s largest events for early years professionals held at the Business Design Centre in Islington.

The event brought together nursery practitioners, educators, managers and sector leaders from across the country for a packed day of learning, discussion and professional development focused on the future of early years education.

Sandy presented on the impact of screens in the early years, sharing evidence around how excessive screen exposure may affect children’s speech, language, communication and development alongside practical ways educators and practitioners can help mitigate some of the harms.

One moment from the session particularly stood out.
A reception teacher asked:

“We use interactive smart boards to teach most things, and they are on all the time. Does that count as screen time?”

Sandy’s answer was clear:
“Yes.”

The teacher explained she planned to follow advice around reducing screen use for story time and nursery rhymes, and turning the smartboard off wherever possible throughout the day.

“One teacher converted is a win,” Sandy reflected afterwards. “But we have a long way to go when the use of screens has become such a widely accepted practice in education.”

As conversations around childhood, learning and technology continue to evolve, it is increasingly important that educators, health professionals and parents feel able to ask honest questions about the role screens now play in children’s lives, particularly in the early years, when communication, relationships and real-world interaction are so important for development.

Thank you Sandy for continuing to bring such important conversations into educational spaces.

18/05/2026

When did you last think about your child’s eyesight? 👁️

It’s Myopia Awareness Week and this year’s theme “Start Early, Protect Vision for Life!” focuses on the importance of early intervention and regular eye tests for children as rates of short-sightedness continue to rise.

According to optometrist Daniel Hardiman-McCartney MBE, one in five children in the UK are now affected by myopia (short-sightedness).

Myopia happens when the eyeball grows slightly too long, making it harder for children to see things clearly in the distance — such as the board at school.

The good news? There are simple things parents can do that may help support healthy visual development.

✔️ Spend more time outdoors Natural daylight and open outdoor spaces are incredibly important for developing eyes. Aim for around 90 minutes outside each day where possible.

✔️ Follow sensible screen time boundaries Setting healthy limits around screens may help reduce the risk of myopia developing, particularly in younger children.

✔️ Book regular eye tests Eye tests are free on the NHS for children, and early identification means there is much more that can be done to help manage myopia and support children’s vision.

Our free downloadable guide, Moments That Matter, also includes a dedicated chapter from Daniel Hardiman-McCartney MBE, with practical advice and simple swaps to help support young eyes in a screen-saturated world.

📥 Download via our website (via link in bio)

Please share with any parents, grandparents or carers who may find this helpful.

16/05/2026

On 27 April, Government ministers gave a binding commitment to Parliament that they will introduce age or functionality-based restrictions on harmful social media for under 16s.

Now those promises must become action.

The consultation closes on 26 May 2026, just days away and the decisions made now will help determine what protections children actually receive from harmful social media.

This is one of the most important opportunities parents, educators and health professionals have had to push for meaningful action.

The evidence is no longer emerging. It is overwhelming. Across health, education, attention, sleep, wellbeing and childhood development, increasing numbers of parents, teachers and health professionals are raising concerns about the impact harmful social media environments may be having on children.

Importantly, young people and parents should not be expected to carry this burden alone. Social media companies have built platforms and algorithms designed to maximise engagement and retain attention, often without sufficient accountability for the risks children are exposed to in the process.

Yet despite the significance of this consultation, many parents and young people have struggled to make their voices heard because of the poor design and complexity of the Government’s consultation portal, which contains more than 60 questions. Many have simply given up trying to complete it.

That cannot become another reason for delay, so a simplified response has now been created which now allows parents, educators, clinicians and anyone who cares about children to send a clear message to Government in less than 60 seconds (link in bio, please share far and wide).

Children deserve stronger protections.

And the age of access to harmful social media should be raised to 16.

The absence of perfect data must not be used to justify inaction when harms are already being experienced in real time.

We have a chance to act.

Please respond to the consultation and help ensure children’s voices are not lost in bureaucracy, delay and political hesitation.

14/05/2026

Esther G**y’s new book, Under a Pink Sky, is many things at once: heartbreaking, courageous, thoughtful and deeply human.

Following the murder of her daughter Brianna, Esther has become one of the UK’s most powerful advocates for children’s mental health, online safety and meaningful cultural change around childhood and smartphones

Rather than being consumed by anger, she chose compassion. She founded the Brianna G**y Legacy Project, bringing mindfulness and emotional well-being into schools across the country. She has taken her campaign for online safety and healthier childhoods all the way to Westminster, becoming one of the UK’s most important voices calling for stronger protections for children online.

Her memoir, Under a Pink Sky, is raw, courageous and deeply moving. A book about grief, forgiveness, mental health, online harms and what it means to protect childhood in a digital age.

We were incredibly moved to see Health Professionals for Safer Screens referenced within the book, alongside the wider movement of clinicians, educators, parents and campaigners working to raise awareness of the impact excessive screen use and social media may be having on children’s health and wellbeing.

Esther’s voice continues to bring compassion and clarity to conversations many families are already having behind closed doors.

Under a Pink Sky is available now in all good bookshops and online stores 📚🌸

**y

11/05/2026

There has been considerable confusion about what the Government’s phones-in-schools guidance actually means in practice.

These latest announcements bring much-needed clarity.

The Government has now confirmed that guidance on mobile phones in schools will be placed on a statutory footing, creating a legal requirement for schools. Ministers have also made clear that “Not Seen, Not Heard” approaches, where pupils may still carry smartphones during the school day, do not meet the intended standard.

Importantly, ministers stated that children should not have access to smartphones during lessons, break times, lunch times, or between lessons.

Schools now have clearer legal backing to choose between:

📵 “No smartphone on site” policies OR 🔒 securely storing/locking smartphones away during the school day.

Alongside this, a growing number of schools are now adopting “brick phone only” approaches allowing children to stay in contact with parents on journeys to and from school, without the risks and distractions associated with smartphones, social media and internet-enabled devices.

Many schools already using these policies report calmer classrooms, improved focus, better social interaction, and an increasing number of families choosing to delay smartphones altogether.

We welcome this increased clarity and recognise the enormous work from clinicians, educators, parents, parliamentarians and campaigners who have consistently pushed for stronger protections for children.

Clear guidance gives schools the confidence to act and helps create calmer, safer and more focused school environments for children.

Health Professionals For Safer Screens

10/06/2026

08/06/2026

31/05/2026

26/05/2026

21/05/2026

20/05/2026

18/05/2026

16/05/2026

14/05/2026

11/05/2026

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