Mumsnet has launched a campaign to introduce a ban on social media for under-16s featuring health warnings in the style of those on cigarette packets.

The deliberately provocative national advertising campaign calls for all social media to be banned for children under the age of 16. The images on billboards and social media make a number of stark statements related to health.

They claim that “three hours or more social media a day makes teens more likely to self-harm”, that teen phone addiction doubles the risk of anxiety, that social media use can increase the risk of eating disorders in young people and that addictive social media use in teens is linked to higher risk of suicidal behaviour.

The ads request that people email their MP and “demand an under-16s social media ban”.

Justine Roberts, founder of Mumsnet, announced the launch of the campaign. She said: “Families are living with the harm caused by social media every day. This isn’t about parents failing to set boundaries. It’s about children being exposed to products deliberately designed to be addictive. Parents are watching the consequences unfold in real time: compulsive use, lost sleep, rising anxiety and collapsing self-esteem, while the companies responsible continue to profit.

“The idea that this can be fixed with better parenting or more guidance is a convenient fiction. You can’t out-parent a business model built on addiction. This campaign shines a light on the damage phone addiction is doing to under-16s and calls on politicians to stop wringing their hands and take decisive action to protect children from addictive technology.”

The ads are the latest stage of Mumsnet’s Rage Against the Screen campaign, which seeks stronger regulation of youth social media access. Research among the platform’s users in spring 2025 found that 92% of parents are concerned about the effect of social media on children’s mental health and more than 60% believe their child is addicted to their phone or social media.

Sedona Jamieson, a student with experience of mental illness, welcomed the campaign. She said: “At 15, when I first became unwell mentally with anxiety, depression and an eating disorder, I turned to social media hoping to find support. Instead, I encountered a darker side of the internet – so-called ‘recovery’ spaces that were saturated with harmful content, including pro-anorexia, self-harm and suicide. Rather than offering help, these spaces risked deepening the very struggles I was trying to overcome.

“As young people, our developing brains make us especially susceptible to what we consume online. That makes it essential for digital platforms to prioritise safeguarding and responsible content moderation.”

Last week, the prime minister promised measures to curb under-16s’ access to social media in “months, not years”, though this does not necessarily mean a total ban.

The children’s commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, would not comment on the campaign. However, she said that, while measures to tighten online safety were vital, a social media ban for under-16s would not provide an “immediate guarantee” that children would be safer online.

“Any social media ban must be enforced in such a way that it does not drive children to other, darker parts of the internet,” she said.

A government spokesperson said: “Parents are deeply worried about the effects of social media on their children, and we’re determined to get this right.

“Our swift consultation will look at everything from age limits and safer design features to a social media ban. We are listening to a wide range of voices including parents, teachers, young people and experts to give young people the childhood they deserve and prepare them for the future. We will set out our plans in the summer.”

The Royal College of Psychiatrists said in a statement: “Protecting children’s mental health must be a public health priority whether they are online or engaging with the world away from social media. This includes ensuring that there are effective and appropriately funded child and adolescent mental health services.

“There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that early and unrestricted access to social media can have a lasting, damaging impact on young people’s mental health.

“The Royal College of Psychiatrists has long argued that the online environment can expose children to harmful content and experiences before they are developmentally ready to process them.

“This kind of exposure puts them at risk and could increase their likelihood of developing mental illnesses. There are also associations with suicidal thoughts, emotional dysregulation and self-worth issues.

“Greater regulation of social media providers is needed. In our view they must be compelled to share more of their anonymised data with independent researchers so we can develop a better understanding of the relationship between algorithms, online activity and mental health.

“Parents and carers can also support their child by having open discussions about how to stay safe on their smartphone and online. It’s also important to balance screen time with other activities such as socialising, exercising and sleep.”