Children need protection from social media – and generative AI | letters

The government’s consultation on whether to ban social media for under-16s is a response to widespread concerns about digital harm (UK ministers launch consultation on whether to ban social media for under-16s, January 19). We in the Neuroscience, Ethics and Society (Neurosec) team at the University of Oxford believe that such research should also extend to the question of whether young people should have access to generative AI. In the case of social media, ministers and commentators have focused on features such as addictive feeds and age limits; Our research team’s work with young people shows that in the age of AI-driven technologies, we must expect these considerations, among many others.

Of course, there are concerns about mental health, social comparison and addictive design when thinking about young people’s online experiences, but the digital world of 2026 encompasses much more than Instagram and TikTok. AI-based chatbots are increasingly present in…