Technology has always been an intrinsic part of human development. Where once owning a car or TV was a luxury, now a mobile phone connected to the world is normal. We live faster lives, and technology designed to help us has created even more pressure
Nowhere is this more visible than in the lives of our children. Today’s young people are growing up in a world where the virtual world is part of their identity. They need digital skills to thrive in the wider world. But they also need the space to grow up safely, to learn to learn to communicate face‑to‑face and build their character
That balance is becoming harder to strike.
The reality is that while social media offers fun and connection, it also exposes children to content they are not ready for. Teenagers following dance trends can—without searching for it—encounter violence or pornography. My own teenager was shown the video of the murder of Charlie Kirk alongside animal videos. Many children hide what they see, afraid their freedom will be taken away.
In my childhood, my home provided a refuge from bullying or social pressure. Today’s children have no such safe space. Bullying follows them into their bedrooms through disappearing messages and group chats. Addictive games and notifications interrupt sleep and undermine mental health.
Parents tell me they feel torn. They want their children to be ready to thrive in the world, but they also want to protect them from it. Technology has created opportunities we once only dreamed of, but it has also crept into every corner of our homes and our children’s minds.
Yet technology is not the enemy. Used well, it helps soldiers train safely, enables NHS staff to learn through simulation, allows us to work flexibly, connect widely and understand more about our world. Adults can weigh up risks because we remember life before screens took over. Children cannot.
That is why Parliament is debating whether children should even be on social media. Some believe a total ban would give children back their childhood. Others fear it would deny them vital skills. For me, like so many things in life, the answer lies in balance.
The Liberal Democrats are calling for a more thoughtful, compassionate approach: sensible time limits, stronger parental controls, and age‑appropriate access to apps — like film classifications. This gives children a safe way to explore online as they grow up. Charities support this. Parents are crying out for it. And young people themselves tell me they want clearer boundaries, not endless pressure.
By the time you read this, MPs will have voted on an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing Bill to introduce a ban which, while not perfect, I am likely to vote for because doing nothing feels like turning away just when our children need us most. It is unlikely to pass, but it should push the Government to act faster, regulate platforms properly, and put children first.
Our children deserve both protection and opportunity. They deserve a childhood that feels like a childhood. And my responsibility — as a parent and your MP — is to fight for exactly that.
