A landmark consultation seeks views on major measures to protect children online in Carlisle. 

Parents, guardians, and young people in Carlisle are being urged by local MP Julie Minns to shape the country’s next steps on children’s digital wellbeing, as the UK Government opened the world’s most ambitious consultation.

The consultation will gather insights from the public on how to keep children safe online across social media, AI chatbots and gaming platforms.  

Its sheer scale is world-leading, looking at expansive options not considered by other countries.

This includes considering how measures like curfews could help 16-17 year olds with their wellbeing.  

This national push follows local engagement in Carlisle, where last weekend Julie Minns MP hosted a ‘Community Matters’ meeting to hear directly from residents.

The feedback gathered there regarding mobiles in schools and under 16s’ social media use will be fed directly into this new Government consultation.

Julie Minns MP said: “Following my recent ‘Community Matters’ meeting, it is clear that parents across Carlisle worry about what social media is doing to their children’s sleep, concentration and mental health.

“Many feel they are fighting a losing battle against platforms designed to keep children scrolling.

“Local families are grappling with how much screen time their children should have, when they should give them a phone, what they are seeing online, and the impact all of this is having.

“They worry about AI, and about their children talking to chatbots as if they’re real people.  

‘This Government is determined to act, and I want people in Carlisle to help shape what that looks like.

“I want to thank everyone who has already shared their views with me.

“Your feedback is vital, and I am now asking all children and parents to take part in this important consultation.’  

Key questions that the consultation will explore include some of the most talked-about potential changes, such as: 

• Whether there should be a minimum age for social media, and if so, what age would be right  
• Whether platforms should be required to switch off addictive features that keep children hooked late into the night – like infinite scrolling and autoplay  
• Whether mandatory overnight curfews would help children sleep better and what age they should apply to  
• Whether children should be able to use AI chatbots without restriction  
• How age verification enforcement should be strengthened  
• What areas of digital literacy parents and children need extra help with  

Technology Minister Liz Kendall said: “The path to a good life is a great childhood, one full of love, learning and play.

“That applies just as much to the online world as it does to the real one.  

“We know parents everywhere are grappling with how much screen time their children should have, when they should give them a phone, what they are seeing online, and the impact all of this is having.  

“This is why we’re asking children and parents to take part in this landmark consultation on how young people can thrive in an age of rapid technological change.  

“Together, we will create a digital world that gives young people the childhood they deserve and prepares them for the future.”  

The three-month consultation is open to everyone with a view: parents, carers, young people, those who work with children, civil society organisations, academics, and industry.

Dedicated versions have been developed for young people and for parents and carers, making it easier for them to share their experiences and views.

These sit alongside the main consultation at gov.uk/growing-up-online.  

The consultation will close on May 26.

Rather than focusing on technical questions about policy mechanisms, it will ask questions about possible solutions and how they work.

As well as how we equip children and young people with the skills and confidence to thrive online and what support parents and families would benefit from in navigating their children’s digital wellbeing.