The Online Safety Law should include explicit reference to limiting deliberately addictive features on social media such as infinite scrolling, likes, hearts, claps, push notifications, spinning wheels, and auto-play.

Social media platforms aren't charities: they're free because we are the product. The rational part of a child's brain isn't fully developed until age 25, impacting their judgement and ability to tell the difference between reality and social media. 

In China:

• Douyin (the version of Chinese app TikTok used in China) has a mandatory 5-second pause between some videos to reduce the chance of addiction. It's triggered by a user spending too long continuously watching videos. 
• The pause plays a video including phrases 'put down the phone', 'go to bed', and 'work tomorrow'. 
• Children under age 14 can only access Douyin for 40 minutes per day, between 6am-10pm. 
• Children under age 18 can only play 1 hour of video games on Fridays, weekends and holidays, using facial recognition software. 
• Children are banned from using mobile phones at school. 

Addictive features must be explicitly mentioned in the UK Government's Online Safety Law. Why can countries that create this technology regulate it, but we can't?

Since Facebook bought Instagram in 2012, there's been:

• A 94% increase in suicide rates for women and girls aged between 10-24 
• An increase by over 21,000 people per year being admitted to hospital for eating disorders in England 
• An increase in the number of people seeking ADHD assessments, resulting in NHS waiting lists of up to 7 years long. 

By halting the addictiveness of these apps, we give children the possibility of having real choice over their lives, attention and mental health. We stop them from becoming products targeted by invisible algorithms to monetize their misery at any cost. 

This is a Public Health Emergency and action must be taken urgently. Not just by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, which promotes growth, but by the Department for Health and Social Care.