The devastating toll of social media on family life is laid bare today in a major survey of parents who say childhood is now worse as a result.

Social media is the biggest threat to children's wellbeing, parents have said, while raising children is now harder and more conflict ridden, the damning report has found.

The survey paints a stark picture of the impact of social media on families, with parents describing teenagers who have been exposed to grooming and sexual exploitation as well as violent content and videos promoting self harm.

Others describe children withdrawing from family life, becoming aggressive when devices are removed, struggling emotionally and losing interest in hobbies, sleep and real-world relationships.

It comes as the Government is eyeing a total ban on Under-16s using social media. A three-month consultation closes today ahead of Keir Starmer making his decision on further measures designed to protect children. 

Australia has already banned under-16s from using major social media services including Tiktok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and there are calls for the UK to follow suit.

Reacting to the survey, Labour MP Lola McEvoy said: 'Social media, the surge in smartphone use among children, the social pressure to be constantly publishing and the lack of regulation on so-called influencers is damaging our children.

'They have a right to experiment socially without permanent damage to themselves and others.'

Jess Asato, the Labour MP for Lowestoft, said: 'This report is yet more evidence that parents across Britain are crying out for change.

'Families know the current social media model is not working for children, and they are tired of being left to carry the burden alone.

'We need stronger protections for children online, including properly enforced age restrictions for under-16s on social media.'

 Andy Burrows, chief executive of Molly Rose Foundation, set up after the 14-year-old took her own life after viewing images promoting suicide and self-harm, said decisive action was needed but pointed to a survey which found some 61 per cent of Australian 12 to 15-year-olds still had access to sites because social media giants had failed to remove the children from their apps.

He said: ‘Parents are rightly demanding Keir Starmer calls time on tech firms monetising our children’s attention with decisive action to rein in harmful, high-risk design features.

‘Parents want swift action but confidence these measures will actually work.

‘Australia’s flawed social media ban risks making parents life harder not easier. It’s the luck of the draw whether a teen still has access to their social media accounts, with 60% still online.’

‘Instead of offering families certainty, a ban risks a false sense of safety and making your child’s online safety a lottery.’

The new survey found 84% of parents believe childhood today is worse than their own while 94% say social media has made parenting harder. 

Almost 70 per cent said they experienced household tension weekly as a result of rows over social media while a staggering 94% identified social media as the biggest threat to children’s wellbeing.

Despite this, the vast majority of parents with children aged 11 or older said they felt pressured to allow social media access earlier than they wanted, with fear of social exclusion given as the main reason.

Even parents who had delayed giving their children smartphones and social media said they are still being exposed to violent pornography and disturbing content on classmates’ phones in playgrounds and on school buses.

Others spoke about the impossible pressure of trying to hold boundaries when 'everyone else already has one'.

One parent said of their son: 'It messes up all his priorities; it has become front and centre of everything and he is totally addicted to it. I wish to god I had never got one for him.'

Another said: 'My daughter is a different person now. I don’t recognise her.'

The report also contains testimonies from parents whose children experienced severe harm online.

One parent said: 'My daughter was sexually abused online on a platform that claims to be suitable for children 13+. She also developed addiction to her phone. She lost the ability to enjoy her hobbies. She became suicidal and self-harms.'

The survey of almost 2,500 families across the UK was carried out by campaign group Smartphone Free Childhood.

Parents from the movement will deliver a petition to the government today calling on Keir Starmer to raise the age of social media to 16. It has received over 114,000 signatures.

Daisy Greenwell, co founder of Smartphone Free Childhood, said: 'This movement has grown so quickly because parents have watched childhood change dramatically in a generation, and we were told to just accept that this is just the way life is now.

'But families know something precious is being lost. They see the effect social media is having on their children’s mental health, attention, relationships and family life. 

'They see childhood becoming more isolated, more commercialised and more consumed by screens designed to keep children hooked for profit.'

She said the campaign was not about being 'anti-technology'. '

Parents understand that technology will be part of their children’s future. 

'What they are questioning is whether children should be spending their formative years on social media platforms despite mounting evidence of wide-scale harm,' she said.