Inside school social media crisis - brain rot, nude photos and kids swiping books

Inside school social media crisis - brain rot, nude photos and kids swiping books EXCLUSIVE: As social media is set to be banned for under-16's we chat to those on the frontline trying to tackle the harm it can cause to young children - and why the ban is a good idea for development in schools Children are now trying to zoom in on the pages of physical books with their fingers and struggling to turn paper pages because their brains are being rewired by digital screens, experts have warned. Following an announcement that under 16's will be banned from social media, teachers and a child psychologist have told the Mirror how addictive algorithms are triggering the same 'fight or flight' distress responses in children as real-world physical danger would. It comes as Keir Starmer today promised "bold action", after the vast majority of parents said they supported the restrictions in a government consultation. Announcing they will be banned from a range of popular platforms at a Downing Street press conference, the Prime Minister added: "This is not something I do lightly and I will not present it as cost-free, as if social media has brought no benefits to young people, as clearly that is wrong." "But it is clear to me that a full ban is the right choice. Do we truly believe that social media creates a happy environment for our children? Do we truly believe its a place they can feel safe?" Now teachers have told the Mirror that they believe screen time is fundamentally affecting childhood development, as it interferes with their physical and emotional skills. According to child psychologist Dr Emily Crosby, the hyper-stimulating, fast-paced visuals of modern apps throws young brains into a state of chronic "dysregulation" - as it would if a child experienced threat or danger in real life. She told the Mirror: "Screens contain fast jumping movements which can cause the brain to struggle to keep up. This can activate the reward system in the brain, increasing dopamine and making the screen addictive in the same way other addictions are caused. "It has gotten to the point where children have been seen struggling to turn pages in a book as they try and zoom in. When a child is then handed paper and pen, they cannot initiate the cognitive processes required to write because their brain is struggling to adjust from the demands of a screen. This creates intense frustration and emotional meltdowns." Dr Crosby also warns that speech and language development is being affected because screen-addicted children are no longer practicing human-to-human verbal communication. The crisis is heavily impacting primary schools, where educators are dealing with a generation of children who have grown up with smartphones being easily accessible from birth. One primary school teacher told the Mirror that children as young as five and six are arriving at school with their own smartphones and tablets, and digital disputes often bleed into the school day. "It's not uncommon for children to talk proudly about their devices or the content they watch online," she said. "Children who spend large amounts of time consuming highly stimulating content can sometimes find the pace of classroom learning more challenging. Activities that require listening, problem-solving, imagination or delayed gratification may feel less rewarding in comparison." The Reception teacher said she's noticed children are having fewer opportunities to "develop independent play skills" and are simply doom scrolling online instead. She said: "Before, children learnt patience, creativity, problem-solving and resilience through play. When entertainment is always instantly available through a screen, some children find it harder to persist with activities that require sustained effort or imagination. But for her, she noted the most concerning impact is for real-world experiences and warned that "if screens begin to replace those experiences rather than complement them, there can be consequences for their development." "It's important to stress that technology itself isn't the problem," she explained. "There are fantastic educational uses for it. The challenge is ensuring that children have a healthy balance and that adults are helping them use technology intentionally rather than passively." But it's already having an noticeable impact on children's mental health and social circles. "Among older pupils, colleagues are increasingly aware of disagreements and friendship issues that begin on social media and then continue into the school day," the teacher said. "We also see the impact that unregulated device use can have on sleep, wellbeing and concentration." She recalled seeing pupils throw "full blown tantrums" because they cannot access addictive technology, adding: "At the moment you try and get them to sit there and listen to a story and they physically can't do it." For older children, it's not just their physical development that is being affected. An English and Media Studies teacher, who also serves as a Head of Year 12, warned that teenagers are unequipped to separate online fiction from reality. "One of the biggest issues I have with students today is how they interpret what they see on social media," she said. "The amount of times I've had students, particularly boys, give me a 'fact' because someone on Instagram or Tiktok has said it. They're taking someones opinion and it's not a fact. "It's scary. They look at just one opinion and take it as the truth. I don't think our students are equipped to discern real news and fact from opinion and they don't get how unreliable news sites can omit certain things. That's what's scary and thats what we need to teach our young people. "With social media, everything is instant. If something happens, a picture or video is up straight away. They don't stop and wait for the full story, they just go with what they're seeing then because they haven't matured enough to know." The ban on social media for under-16s is set to come into force "in the early part of next year", Keir Starmer announced today and said it was clear to him that "a full ban is the right choice". The crackdown follows a previous announcement that Britain will become the first nation to make it impossible for adolescents to take, share, or view nude photos on their smartphones. Tech bosses have been handed an ultimatum to clean up their devices or face penalties, which could include prison time. The emergency intervention comes after a shocking Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) investigation exposed a dark web manual advising predators to use AI "nudifying" tools to strip clothing from innocent underwear photos sent by kids, weaponising the manipulated images to blackmail victims in targeted "sextortion" scams. While the government has pledged to move at speed, school leaders are warning that the state must provide the cash to back up its pledge. Matt Wrack, General Secretary of NASUWT teaching union, insists that the Government "must work with teachers and school leaders" rather than putting the onus on schools. He told the Mirror: "We have been clear that the Government should pilot different approaches in schools before imposing a statutory ban. This would allow the best practice to be identified and adopted across all schools, ensuring that restrictions are grounded in what actually works in the classroom. "There will also be practical and financial implications for schools. We have highlighted the potential of lockable pouches as a promising approach to managing phones. Early feedback from schools using them is encouraging, but if this becomes part of national expectations, the associated costs cannot simply be pushed onto already overstretched school budgets."