Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to reduce the number of children who self-harm as a result of over-exposure to the internet.

As part of the work on the Digital Charter announced in the Queen’s Speech, the Government is considering a range of options to counter internet harms. This includes an Internet Safety Strategy which will look at how we can support users so that everyone can access the benefits of the Internet safely. The Strategy, which was published by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on 11 October, considers the responsibilities of companies to their users, the use of technical solutions to prevent online harms and government’s role in supporting users. The Strategy includes a public consultation on the proposed measures.

DCMS will work closely with the Department of Health and the Department for Education on their upcoming joint Children and Young People’s Mental Health Green Paper. This will be published before the end of the year and will consider both the impact of social media on mental health and the role that technology has in affecting children and young people’s mental health.