Call to limit body-editing apps for children

Mental health experts want body and face-editing apps to have age restrictions to help protect the mental health and physical wellbeing of young people.

They want tech companies to follow specific guidelines and think about the health harms that their products could have.

Experts from the Mental Health Foundation, University of Birmingham and Cochrane Common Mental Disorders Group say some body and face-editing apps target children from as young as five and they can have a negative impact on body image among young people.

Dr Antonis Kousoulis, from the Mental Health Foundation, says: "We must act now to understand how standalone image-editing apps, and popular in-app filters on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, influence children and young people's body image and their mental health."

Research from the Foundation from 2019 found that a quarter of girls and one in ten boys aged 13 to 19 had edited photos of themselves to change their face or body shape because of concerns about body image.

Dr Antonis Kousoulis adds: "As a society we need to take steps to protect young people from harmful factors over which they have no personal control."

The call for action comes as the children's charity NSPCC has also urged the Government to make sure its Online Harms Bill meets a new set of tests set by the charity in order to be considered strong enough protections for young people online.

Where to get help

If you are worried about these issues. there is lots of support out there for you to get help.

Speak to an adult you trust, like a parent, guardian or a teacher.

You can also contact Childline - a counselling charity for people aged 18 and under - on 0800 1111 for free at any time.