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Open Review access to social media for under 18s in CAMHS wards/adolescent units

Created by Victoria Apperley
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Introduce a nationally standardised digital safeguarding policy for all under 18 year olds during acute mental health admissions. Pause social media including smart phones on admission. Provide therapeutic alternatives. Children in crisis deserve space to recover.

Some children have posted images of their self harm wounds from hospital beds while algorithms provide more images from peers. Inpatient admission should mean safety. Instead, we think smartphones are turning wards into broadcasting studios for harm. Self-harm costs the NHS. We believe that unmanaged digital risk in acute admissions is negligent.

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    This petition will stay open until 1 December 2026.