UK Girls Face 'Tsunami' of Harmful Online Content, Study Reveals
UK Girls Face 'Tsunami' of Harmful Online Content, Study Reveals
Alarming new research shows 47% of UK girls aged 13-17 encounter high-risk social media content weekly. Current safety measures are failing, prompting calls for an under-16 social media ban. #OnlineSafety
Nearly half of girls and a third of all teenagers in the UK are encountering harmful content on social media weekly, according to a recent study. This includes distressing material related to suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders, highlighting a persistent challenge despite the introduction of new online safety measures.
The Molly Rose Foundation (MRF) led the research, which found that 47% of girls aged 13 to 17 were exposed to high-risk content during a seven-day period. The charity, established in memory of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who tragically took her own life after viewing harmful online content in 2017, states that children are still facing a "tsunami of harmful content."
The findings, based on a survey of 1,825 UK children conducted by MEL Research in April 2026 with support from the PSHE Association, indicate that the new safety protections implemented last summer have had little effect. Only a slight reduction was observed in the number of teens seeing harmful content (34%) compared to before the new rules (37%).
The study also revealed that children with low wellbeing (57%) and those with special educational needs (40%) are at an even greater risk of encountering such content. This underscores the need for targeted support and more robust protective measures for vulnerable groups.
The new protections, which came into force last July, included age checks to prevent children from accessing pornography and other harmful content. They also mandated platforms to ensure algorithms do not push subjects like self-harm and eating disorders towards young users. Firms failing to comply face severe penalties, including fines of up to £18m or 10% of their worldwide revenue, whichever is greater, along with potential court orders.
In response to these concerning findings, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is widely expected to announce a ban on social media for under-16s in the coming days. This move would signify a significant escalation in efforts to protect children online, as the current measures are clearly falling short.
