According to a survey, Generation Z members are growing increasingly disenchanted with social media, and eight out of ten say they would want to prevent their offspring from using it for as long as feasible.

Among those between 16 and 24 years old, half express frustration with the time they spent on phones during childhood, and one-third believe they should have postponed engaging with online platforms.

Generation Z, comprising individuals born from 1996 to 2010, are the first cohort to have been immersed in the digital world from early childhood.

Luke Tryl, who leads the polling firm More In Common and conducted the study, stated: “A significant number of British Generation Z members express remorse over the time they dedicated to their gadgets.”

The call for the government to step up efforts in safeguarding children from the negative impacts of social media extends across young people in Britain and the general public.

The research, involving over 1,600 young adults and conducted alongside the think tank The New Britain Project, revealed that seven out of ten participants desire stricter regulations to protect youth.

Furthermore, social media was cited as the greatest contributor to the deterioration of teenage mental health.

At the same time, half of the respondents indicated that social media has deteriorated over the last five years, with an additional two-thirds believing it has grown more unsafe.

Overall, women expressed more negativity towards social media compared to men.

The study has been released as Members of Parliament get ready to discuss a private member’s bill introduced by Labour MP Josh MacAlister, which aims to enhance smartphone safety for kids.

The proposed Safer Phones legislation would require the government to develop a plan for researching how social media affects children. According to Anna McShane, director of The New Britain Project, “These poll findings leave absolutely no room for ambiguity.”

We oversee various sectors that endanger youth, so why should social media be an exception? By not taking action today, we would be disregarding the concerns of the generation that has endured its most severe consequences.

The findings from this study align with recent polls conducted by Girlguiding, the United Kingdom’s biggest youth organization, which revealed that over twenty-five percent of teens have encountered a sexually altered deepfake involving a celebrity, peer, or educator.

Deepfakes refer to pictures or video sequences created through artificial intelligence utilizing the facial features of actual individuals.

About 58 percent of 13-year-olds reported being aware of deepfakes, with this figure increasing to 62 percent among all teens. A representative from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology stated, “Our commitment lies in safeguarding young individuals in digital spaces while allowing them to take advantage of cutting-edge technologies.”

By summertime, strong new safeguards for kids will come into effect via the Online Safety Act, designed to shield them from damaging material and guaranteeing their online experiences are suitable for their age.

The government’s reply to the private member’s bill will occur during the second reading of the legislation, adhering to standard parliamentary procedure.

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