Nine signs your child is addicted to social media that you shouldn’t dismiss as ‘teen behaviour’

When the news broke this week that under 16s would be banned from social media sites like TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat, children were in uproar.

When one Lancashire schoolgirl was asked what she would do without her social accounts, her deadpan response went viral.

‘Stare at a wall,’ she said, her face solemn.

Many argued this reaction was exactly why the ban was needed, because of the addicting nature of social media algorithms.

Of course, this ban won’t be implemented until spring 2027, so as a parent, how do you tell if your child is truly addicted to their phone, or they’re simply annoyed they’ve been banned from a global network?

Nick Dunkley, 47, an operations manager for UK Addiction Treatment (UKAT), the biggest private addiction treatment provider in the country has been seeing an increasing number of under-18 year olds accessing treatment to combat their reliance on social media.

How to spot if your teen has a social media addiction

Your child’s love for their phone and social media accounts becomes an addiction when they experience an overwhelming urge to take part in it again and again, even when it’s causing them harm, according to UKAT.

This urge isn’t a simple craving, like the urge to eat chocolate, an addiction can leave those struggling unable to function without the behaviour.

It’s little wonder this has happened when Nick says ‘these short, sharp videos are made of instant dopamine, [they’re] flicking through and not absorbing anything’.

So, how can you check if this applies to your child? ‘To see the acute symptoms, just try to take a phone off a 15-year-old,’ Nick explains.

Once you’ve done this, keep an eye out for these signs. ‘It’s the lack of eye contact, struggling to engage in face to face conversations, physical agitation and their eyes darting to where their phones are,’ he adds.

‘These might be written off as teenager behaviour, but it becomes pronounced.’

Even when your teen or child does have their phone or tablet, there are other behaviours to look out for. Nick explains you’ll notice a lack of sleep from doom-scrolling, your child might have persistent headaches and maybe even worsening eyesight.

It could also result in a ‘decreased attention span and IQ’, according to the expert.

Children can become so desperate that when they attend UKAT’s rehab for social media addictions, they sneak in second phones or refuse to surrender their devices.

Many will also do anything they can to avoid attending in the first place.

The one thing parents shouldn’t do when the ban comes in

Once all under 16s are banned by spring 2027 and under 18s have had their curfews implemented, parents should expect there to be some teething problems.

He says withdrawals are to be expected. If you’re child is struggling with the ban you’ll see mood changes, and they may be more agitated and argumentative, but parents and schools should support young people through this.

‘I’m hopeful,’ Nick says. ‘Give it six months or a year, and it won’t be this massive impact on the youth – they’ll bounce back.

‘We’re not depriving them now – we already did, now we’re trying to give them their childhood back.’

He suggests the biggest threat to the ban’s success will be parents bending the rules to allow their children access when they shouldn’t have it.

But, ultimately, parents should use this ban to empower themselves.

‘We know the harm social media does for children – now this ban enables parents and schools to say no without the peer pressure,’ Nick explains.

‘I know what I’d rather my child be doing rather than living in a world that doesn’t exist, and aspiring to things they can never reach.’

Confidential help, information and support with social media addiction is available on UKAT’s website.

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