Published: 22 May 2026
Parents are more concerned about the mental health impact of harmful or inappropriate online content on their child than their physical health and nutrition.
More than a third of parents have been told by their child that they have seen something inappropriate or upsetting on social media.
Nearly three in five parents do not believe social media platforms do enough to protect children.
Almost nine in ten parents would support a formal partnership between BBFC and social media platforms to enable content moderation in line with the BBFC’s Classification Guidelines — with 73% of parents stating they would be more likely to let their child use social media if such a partnership existed.
The BBFC, Molly Rose Foundation, NSPCC and others have written to the Government calling for the same standards used to classify films for UK cinema release to be extended to social media platforms.
New research from the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) reveals parents are more concerned about the mental health impact of harmful or inappropriate online content on their child (55%) than their physical health and nutrition (27%).
This has become the number one concern for parents regarding their child's wellbeing and development, above making friends (37%), academic performance (36%), and bullying (40%).
According to parents, children aged 12–17 spend an average of 17 hours and 35 minutes online each week, with 1 in 20 exceeding 40 hours — the equivalent of a full working week. This growing level of online activity increases the likelihood of exposure to harmful and illegal content.
More than a third of parents (34%) have been told by their child that they have seen something inappropriate or upsetting on social media such as violence, hate speech, or sexual content. Of those parents not told directly, almost half (48%) believe that their child has seen material on social media which wasn’t age-appropriate. Among parents who have either been told —or believe without being told —32% believe that their child is exposed to social media content that is not age-appropriate several times a week, with 1 in 10 (11%) believing it occurs daily.
Parents are placing the blame squarely on the industry, as nearly three in five (59%) parents are not confident that social media platforms do enough to protect children and young people from being exposed to age-inappropriate content.
Public support for change is striking. Almost nine in ten (86%) parents would support a formal partnership between the BBFC and social media platforms — an arrangement that would see social media content moderated in line with the same BBFC classification standards used for UK cinemas. Nearly three-quarters (73%) would be more likely to let their child use social media if content was moderated in line with these standards.
More than nine in ten parents (92%) say it is important that the standards used to define what is age-appropriate on social media are based on consultation with UK audiences. BBFC Classification Guidelines, which determine film age ratings, are shaped through regular consultation with UK audiences.
The research comes as the BBFC, Molly Rose Foundation, NSPCC and other leading charities, civil society bodies, and public interest organisations have written to the Technology Secretary Liz Kendall calling for the same standards and protections that exist in UK cinemas to be extended to social media platforms. Their letter said “social media can expose children to harmful and illegal content… from radicalisation and dangerous challenges to widespread access to pornography and self-harm material”, adding that exposure to such material had “cost young lives”.
David Austin OBE, Chief Executive of the BBFC, said: “These findings are a wake-up call for the industry. The mental health impact of harmful online content on children is now the number one concern for parents. With some children spending the equivalent of a full working week online, and parents stating that social media platforms are failing to protect them, the public verdict is overwhelming: the status quo is no longer acceptable.
“The BBFC has spent decades consulting with the public to establish what is appropriate for children to see on-screen as they grow up. These trusted frameworks already protect millions every day across UK cinemas, streaming services, and mobile networks. We have the expertise and experience to help, and stand ready to work with social platforms to ensure that the high standards parents expect offline are delivered online.”
Online research was conducted on behalf of BBFC by OnePoll between 17 and 23 March, 2026.
2,000 parents of children aged 12-17 were interviewed.
Data splits were provided based on: age, gender and region
Key findings:
Children aged 12–17 spend an average of 17h 35m online per week, with 30% spending 11–20 hours and one in twenty exceeding 40 hours.
55% of parents say harmful or inappropriate content is their main concern regarding their child’s well-being and development, with bullying (40%) and social pressures (37%) also prominent.
65% are concerned about their child’s social media use; among them, top worries are inappropriate content (34%), screen time (25%), and contact from strangers (17%).
70% feel confident they know what their child sees online, including 14% who say they are very confident. However, 28% are not confident.
34% have been told by their child about inappropriate or upsetting content; this most often involves violence (47%), hate speech (42%), or sexual content (40%).
Among parents not told directly, 48% still believe their child has seen age‑inappropriate material. Of parents that have been told by their child or believe that their child has seen age-inappropriate material on social media, 11% think this happens daily, 32% believe it occurs several times a week, and 10% said once a week.
Only 37% believe social media platforms do enough to protect children. However, 59% are not confident, including 22% not confident at all.
49% feel platforms are transparent about their content standards, while 51% believe that they are not transparent.
Support for BBFC involvement is high: 86% would support a formal partnership, and 73% would be more likely to let their child use a platform working with the BBFC, including 34% who said much more likely.
Of parents with a child aged 12-14, almost nine in ten (87%) would feel more comfortable with their child using social media if they knew the content they could see did not exceed what is allowed in a 12A-rated film.
Of parents with a child aged 15-17, more than eight in ten (81%) would feel more comfortable with their child using social media if they knew the content they could see did not exceed what is allowed in a 15-rated film.
The BBFC is independent and not-for-profit, and here to help everyone in the UK - especially children and families - choose age-appropriate films, videos and websites, wherever and however they watch or use them. Now, as well as classifying films released in UK cinemas and on DVD and Blu-ray, it’s providing age-ratings for Video On Demand and music videos online, and helping mobile phone operators set parental controls at the right level. Please visit bbfc.co.uk for further information.
For media enquiries, please contact: press@bbfc.co.uk
