News
Social media giants exploiting UK children for profit
Press release embargoed until Thursday 18th September 2025, 00:01 AM
- ‘Robbed: Big Tech’s Little Victims’, a new campaign from the National Education Union and a coalition of supporting organisations, launches today to raise awareness of how social media companies are exploiting children for profit and stealing their childhoods.
- 70% of the UK public believe that social media companies are robbing children and young people of their childhoods and are glad they didn’t grow up with social media.
- The campaign is calling for the digital age of consent to be raised from 13 to 16, which is supported by over 70% of people.
- The combined worth of the leaders of the Big Tech companies most responsible is £290.4 billion.
- The campaign has published the ‘Robbed Report’ which highlights the devastating impact of social media on children and young people’s mental health, radicalisation, attention spans and classroom behaviour.
18th September 2025 – To fight the crisis social media is creating for our children and young people head-on, the National Education Union (NEU) and a coalition of partners have launched ‘Robbed: Big Tech’s Little Victims’, a national campaign backed by parents, teachers, young people and healthcare professionals calling on the government to raise the age of digital consent to 16 and stop social media companies from stealing childhoods.
Recent polling by the NEU revealed 70% of the UK public believe that social media companies are robbing children and young people of their childhoods (69%1) and are glad they didn’t grow up with social media (72%1). Almost two-thirds (64%1) also agree these same Big Tech companies are profiting from the distress their platforms are causing.
‘Robbed: Big Tech’s Little Victims’ is responding to the devastating effects of social media, which parents and teachers are seeing every day at home and in the classroom. From disrupted sleep and shorter attention spans, to reduced social skills and exposure to radicalised and extreme views, children and young people are victims of Big Tech executives who are making billions while they lose out.
The NEU has published a report that highlights just how platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube – headed up by Mark Zuckerberg, Zhang Yiming, Evan Spiegel and Sundar Pichai – are generating profits through exploitation, feeding dangerous algorithms to children and exposing them to harmful trends and toxic content before their brains are even fully developed.
Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the NEU, said: “Every day, teachers see the damage Big Tech is doing to children and young people. Students are being robbed – of innocence, of attention, of sleep and joy – arriving at school exhausted, anxious, and already overwhelmed by what they’ve seen on social media. Their ability to focus, connect, and feel good about themselves is being eroded before they’ve even had a chance to grow. This isn’t just unfortunate – it’s a crisis. And it’s being driven by platforms designed to exploit young minds for profit.
“It’s important that schools have robust policies on smartphones, but social media will continue to rob children of their wellbeing and socialisation outside of the school gates. We will not stand by while social media executives rake in billions by stealing childhoods. Teachers are uniting with parents to say enough is enough, because we see the harm, and we know it can be stopped. The NEU is proud to lead this campaign and call for the digital age of consent to be raised to 16. Other countries are acting; the UK must follow. It’s time to put children’s lives before corporate gain. It’s time to stop Big Tech stealing childhoods.”
Exposing the extent to which social media is robbing children and young people of their wellbeing, polling also revealed over two-thirds (68%1) of people think social media use is exacerbating a mental health emergency for under-18s.
Parents agree. More than three-quarters (77%2) of parents surveyed by the NEU believe social media companies have played a significant role in the mental health crisis young people are facing. The most pervasive negative impacts of social media they reported their children experiencing are:
- Spending less time outdoors (42%2)
- Reduced time spent on hobbies like sports, reading and music (36%2)
- Disrupted sleep or bedtime routines (35%2)
- Decreased attention spans or concentration (31%2)
- Exposure to harmful or inappropriate content (30%2)
Baroness Anne Longfield, Executive Chair of Centre for Young Lives and former Children’s Commissioner for England, said: “Our children are navigating a digital world never designed to protect them, and which can often manipulate them. Too many are being robbed, of sleep, of confidence, of attention and connection. That’s why I am supporting this campaign to restore boundaries, reclaim childhood and hold social media companies accountable for the harm they are causing. We cannot continue to accept that children should be left to fend for themselves in the digital world or continue to risk becoming the victims of the ever-growing power and influence of tech giants.”
In addition to pushing for the UK Government to raise the age of digital consent for social media to 16, the campaign’s other demands found substantial support among the UK public:
- The Government should introduce guidance on the health impacts of social media on children and young people (76%1)
- There should be guaranteed space on the school curriculum to teach digital literacy (73%1)
- The Government should introduce a watermark for ethical advertising for social media platforms (70%1)
- There should be a windfall tax on social media companies to pay for mental health services (67%1)
Join the parents and teachers fighting to stop Big Tech stealing childhoods. Support the campaign and sign the open letter to the UK Government here.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
1 Survey of 2,001 UK nationally representative respondents; ‘Strongly agree’ and ‘Somewhat agree’ responses combined
2 Survey of 1,000 parents (aged 25+) of children aged 10-16
About the National Education Union
The National Education Union stands up for the future of education. It brings together the voices of half a million teachers, lecturers, support staff and leaders working in maintained and independent schools and colleges across the UK, to form the largest education union in Europe.
It is an independent, registered trade union and professional association, representing its members in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands.
The National Education Union is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) and Education International (EI). It is not affiliated to any political party and seeks to work constructively with all the main political parties.
About the Coalition
A coalition of partners is backing the ‘Robbed: Big Tech’s Little Victims’ campaign. Representing teachers, parents and healthcare professionals, these partners include:
- Centre for Young Lives
- Parentkind
- Health Professionals for Safer Screens
- The New Britain Project
- Damian McBeath, School Principal, The John Wallis Church of England Academy
- Will Orr-Ewing, Founder, Keystone Tutors
- Dr Kaitlyn Regehr, Associate Professor, University College London
- Katharine Smales, Postdoctoral Social Researcher, University College London
About the Censuswide research
Two pieces of research were conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2,001 UK nationally representative respondents, and among a sample of 1,000 parents (aged 25+) of children aged 10-16. The data was collected between 6th and 8th August 2025. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.
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