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Social media firms 'must share burden' of child mental health costs with NHS
Social media firms should do more to help the NHS tackle mental health issues in young people said NHS boss Simon Stevens.
Stevens warned of a double epidemic affecting UK youths, with a growing trend in children falling into obesity due to a sedentary life and high caloric diets as well as an increasing number of children suffering from mental health issues such as anxiety and depression due to the misuse of social media.
"On average in this country we spend twice as much time on the toilet than we do exercising."
"It is obvious that there is more unmet need for young people's mental health services than probably any other part of the health service," he said at the NHS Confederation annual conference in Manchester.
Stevens said that these problems should not be tackled solely by the NHS and urges schools and households to be aware of the dangers social media and sedentary lifestyles pose to children.
He also said that technology companies and social media firms should also be involved in the matter and help the NHS cover the costs. This follows calls for social media and online gaming firms to have a "duty of care" to protect children and youths from mental illness and addictive behaviour towards technology.