“Some argue that vulnerable children need access to social media to find their community,” Brianna’s mother Esther Ghey wrote in a letter seen by the BBC. <\/p>\n
“As the parent of an extremely vulnerable and trans child, I strongly disagree. <\/p>\n
“In Brianna’s case, social media limited her ability to engage in real-world social interactions. She had real friends, but she chose to live online instead.”<\/p>\n
According to The Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, the consultation will “seek views from parents, young people and civil society” to determine the effectiveness of a ban.<\/p>\n
It would also look at whether more robust age checks could be implemented by social media firms, which could be forced to remove or limit features “which drive compulsive use of social media”.<\/p>\n
And Ofsted will give tougher guidance to schools to reduce phone use – including telling staff not to use their devices for personal reasons in front of pupils.<\/p>\n
The government will respond to the consultation in the summer.<\/p>\n
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the laws in the Online Safety Act were “never meant to be the end point” and said she understood “parents still have serious concerns”.<\/p>\n
“We are determined to ensure technology enriches children’s lives, not harms them – and to give every child the childhood they deserve,” she said.<\/p>\n