What does it really take to protect our children online?
 
In this episode, I sit down with Baroness Luciana Berger — former MP, now working in the House of Lords on two of the most significant issues of our time: assisted dying and the campaign to safeguard under-16s on social media.
 
What she shared stopped me in my tracks.
 
The average child spends 21 hours a week on social media. Not on screens generally. On the most sophisticated, addictive apps ever created. And that is only the beginning.
 
We talk about the work happening behind the scenes to get the social media bill right.
 
We talk about why Snapchat, the app most associated with grooming, bullying, and real-world harm, is so often the first one we hand our children.
 
We talk about FOMO, comparison, and how constant exposure to a curated highlight reel is quietly dismantling children’s self-worth before they even know who they are.
 
Luciana brings in the medical evidence. The rise in anxiety medication. The surge in therapy referrals. The heartbreaking reality of children are taking their own lives because of what they encounter online. And she talks about the precautionary principle: once you have evidence of harm, you act.
 
We also compare our own childhoods. We were naïve. And that naïveté protected us. Today’s children do not have that same protection.
 
The consultation is open now to anyone aged 10 and above. This is your chance to have a voice. To stand up. To be counted.
 
75% of people in this country want some form of policy to protect under-16s online. The concern is real. The need is urgent. And the conversation is only just beginning.
 
Are you ready to help our children stay safe?  Have your say here.