At MQ, we believe nothing is more important than protecting the mental health of our children. It’s time for all of us — from Parliament to social media companies all the way to you and me — to step up and take action.
Recent news reports indicated that Facebook ignored its own research on how social media affects teens’ mental health, all while it prepared to launch a new Instagram for children. Facebook paused that project and says it has taken steps to nudge teens away from harmful content. However, we are deeply troubled by reports that this research may have been ignored.
Research is the foundation for responsible action. It helps us pinpoint specific problems and develop real, data-based solutions. Research gives substance to policy actions and regulations, helping to ensure that our actions will actually solve the right problems.
And that’s even more important when it comes to young people and mental health.
Research focusing on youth mental health is severely underfunded, despite the fact that 75% of mental illnesses begin before age 18. Overall, mental health research gets 25 times less funding than cancer research — and only a quarter of that small sum goes towards research projects on children and young people.
As a result, most mental health care resources are not designed and developed with young people in mind. Very little is known about what causes mental health conditions, what treatments are most effective, or what could be done to prevent them in the first place.
That’s why, today, MQ is calling on Parliament to increase funding for mental health research specifically related to youth and social media.
Right now, Parliament is developing an online safety bill that could transform the way the world regulates social media companies. That’s a critical step, and we support these efforts. However, it’s vital that this legislation be supported by scientific research to ensure that any regulations will actually work to protect our children.
That’s why we need your help.
Protecting our children is everyone’s responsibility. You can do your part by asking your member of Parliament to increase funding for mental health research. It takes only a few clicks to make your voice heard through this simple form, and you’ll take an active step to protect our children’s mental health.
Will you contact your MP today?
Finally, we offer up our organisation — the world’s leading mental health research charity — as a partner for this important work. Young people’s mental health is already a priority for MQ, and we are eager to work with the government and social media companies to develop research-backed strategies for protecting our children.
We all have a responsibility to make sure our children are safe online. Now is the time to make it happen.
Lea Milligan, CEO of MQ Mental Health Research
Our work on youth mental health
