Overview

• Professor Mathew Sadlier made the comparison during Holyrood’s Festival of Politics session “Smartphone‑free Childhood?” chaired by Conservative MSP Douglas Ross.
• He reported more extreme eating‑disorder presentations in young patients and said social media is partly to blame.
• He described an online self‑harm video “ecosystem” that he said is very difficult for platforms to police.
• He called for a societal reset on children’s smartphone access, urging parents to reconsider giving 12‑year‑olds phones.
• The warning lands as the Online Safety Act is in force with duties to limit harmful content for children, though enforcement capabilities remain in question.