Nearly half of UK girls saw harmful social media content in a week, research shows

The Molly Rose Foundation (MRF) released research on June 13, 2026, indicating that nearly half of UK girls aged 13 to 17 encountered high-risk social media content within a single week. Specifically, 47% of these girls were exposed to content related to suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders. The study also found that a third of all teenagers surveyed saw similar harmful material during the same seven-day period. This research suggests that recent safety measures implemented by social media platforms have had minimal impact on protecting young users from such content. In response to these findings, Keir Starmer is expected to announce a ban on social media access for individuals under the age of 16.