Stirling MP issues smartphone "addiction" warning as figures reveal nine in ten kids own phone by 11

A Stirling MP has called for better protection for a generation of kids with “spiralling mental health” and “plunging wellbeing” because of addictive smartphones.

Alyn Smith spoke at Westminster Hall yesterday to call on the government to put pressure on tech companies for getting young people hooked as he raised the case of tragic Murray Dowey who took his own life after he was targeted in a sextortion scam.

Murray, 16, from Dunblane, was contacted on Instagram by someone claiming to be a young girl who asked him to send an explicit photo of himself before blackmailing him with it.

The SNP MP pointed to statistics which show that nine in 10 children own a smartphone by the age of 11 and six in 10 kids aged eight to 12 have an account on a social media platform - despite the minimum for most sites being 13.

The figures - from an Ofcom report dated February 2024 - also show that almost three-quarters of teenagers have encountered potential harms online, while three in five secondary school age children have been contacted online in a way which made them feel uncomfortable.

Mr Smith added: “Whether it’s at home or in the classroom, smartphones are everywhere and have become an integral part of modern life.

“But tech companies have built apps and social media services to be as addictive as possible, and the pervasiveness of these in the lives of our children and young people are causing untold harms to physical, mental and social wellbeing and development.

“And as we saw in the tragic case of Murray, these dangers and criminals do not respect borders.

“They require concerted effort across the international community to tackle head on, and protect our children and young people.

“Time and time again we see cases of online bullying, sextortion, exposure to pornographic and violent content, and insidious algorithms serving up goodness knows what from bad actors and propagandists alike.

“It’s time for a reset in our relationship with smartphones and social media - and that must begin with our children and young people.

“If we’re to tackle spiralling mental health, plunging physical and emotional wellbeing, and increasing exposure to inappropriate and sometimes criminal content, tech companies must comply with the letter and spirit of the law.”

The death of “bright and happy” teenager Murray brought the issue of sextortion into sharp focus with the National Crime Agency reporting a doubling of cases earlier this year.

Mr Smith said: “In Dunblane recently, we saw the terrible case of Murray Dowey. Murray was a bright, happy 16-year-old who was football daft - a Stirling Albion fan.

“He was well liked and popular - but took his own life after being a victim of sextortion via his Instagram chat account.

“Sextortion is a horrible word for a horrible thing, but it is something that we must make particularly young people more aware of because the risks are real and clear.

“I intervene in this debate at the request of Murray’s parents, Ros and Mark, who have been through hell and they want action.

“They have remained incredibly dignified and brave throughout their ongoing ordeal but they want to see action and I think there is a lot of unity that we need to do more on this topic.

“I’ve also been contacted by hundreds of parents across Stirling who likewise want to see action and it is up to us to decide what that action needs to be, but the awareness that we need to do more is a good place to start.”

Following the debate, Mr Smith launched a call for UK Government action to put pressure on tech companies to comply with the law and for governments across the globe to work together to prevent harms online.