Introduction
Children are being bombarded with weight loss drug ads online, according to a report by the Children’s Commissioner for England.
Report Findings
The report found that young people are being exposed to adverts for products that claim to change their bodies and appearance, despite this kind of advertising being banned.
Impact on Children
Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, said that these posts are ‘immensely damaging’ to young people’s self-esteem and called for a ban on social media advertising to children.
Expert Opinion
Dr Peter Macaulay, a senior lecturer in Psychology at the University of Derby, said that ending advertising to children on social media was a ‘necessary step’, and that regulation should go even further.
Solutions and Recommendations
Dame Rachel’s report suggested several solutions, including amending the Online Safety Act to include a ‘clear duty of care’ for social media platforms to stop showing adverts to children.
Government Response
A government spokesperson said that it was ‘always clear’ that the Online Safety Act wasn’t the end of the conversation and that the government had recently launched a national consultation on ‘bold measures to protect children online’, including potentially banning social media for under 16s.
Conclusion
Urgent action is needed to create an online world that is truly safer by design, and to protect children from the harmful effects of weight loss ads and other online content.
