Growing up in the online world: a national consultation

Why we’re consulting

Technology is part of most children’s lives from an early age. It can help children learn, build friendships and develop creativity. But it also brings risks, and many parents, teachers and young people have told us the current situation is not working well enough. 

Social media use among children and adolescents is almost universal.  The proportion of children with social media profiles has increased significantly in the last 5 years. We must ensure children can engage with the online world safely, and that parents and carers feel confident to support and empower their children online. 

This consultation is the next step in the government’s work to ensure children’s experiences online are safe and enriching. We want to understand how technology impacts children’s wellbeing, and what more we can do to help families strike the right balance.

Do you remember what your childhood looked like?

National Consultation

Background

The Online Safety Act 2023 established one of the strongest systems in the world for protecting children from illegal and harmful content online. This consultation builds on that foundation to consider the broader impact of technology on children’s everyday lives.

Given the importance of the internet and digital services in today’s society, we need to consider whether additional measures could build on our existing approach and ensure the UK remains the safest place for children to be online.

What we’re consulting on

The consultation will consider how children use digital technology as well as measures including:

• setting a minimum age for children to access social media - and what age would be right
• restricting risky functionalities and design features that encourage excessive use, such as infinite scrolling and autoplay
• whether the digital age of consent should be raised
• how age verification and age assurance technologies can support effective implementation
• whether the guidance on the use of mobile phones in schools should be put on a statutory footing
• better support for parents, including clearer guidance and simpler parental controls

Who we want to hear from

We welcome responses from everyone, including children and young people, whose voices are central to this process. A dedicated version of this consultation has been published for children, and a separate version for parents and carers. We will also hear views through a series of national events over the next 3 months.

What happens next

This consultation will close on the 26 May 2026. The government has committed to taking swift action on its findings. On 16 February 2026, the Prime Minister announced new legal powers to allow the government to act swiftly after the consultation response, without waiting for new primary legislation. We will publish our response in summer 2026.