BBC Politics Live - Should social media and smartphones be banned for under 16s? 

I'm with you on this, Miriam. Screens encourage us to dissociate from our bodies. Social media encourages us to see ourselves primarily as our online personas which don't have to be limited by material reality. The effect on adults with fully developed brains is bad enough!

My eight year old son never had a phone or tablet, loves playing board games, crafts, outdoors and top of his class in school. By comparison, many of his peers in his class who do have phones are clearly struggling. Phones aren't good for anyone, nevermind kids.

My 10 year old has my old smart phone to play games and watch kids RU-vid (and only in the weekends for a couple of hours each day). I’ve disabled and hidden the internet browsers, she has no social media, no access to texts or phone, and can only add age-approved apps by me.

One thing I expected to hear was how many children have to walk home and their phone is their only link to notify someone they are in danger. The fear and danger on some streets for children under sixteen walking home. This discussion needs to discuss the safety issues for children who need phones to raise an alarm in in danger.

TBH it's a complex issue I do think parents should be allowed more control over what their children can view online though.

Good job Miriam and Kudos to you for advocating publicly #Boldly and truthfully, for upholding Family values policy from the Bible (what is right) and in front of an extremely left and vicious audience.

Hodge is piece of work.

Yes, of course they should be banned for kids. It gives them access to content that in any other context would trigger a social services referral, and yet we're being told "it's fine, all kids do it!" often by the adults who have a vested interest in accessing kids online.

Margaret Hodge is a lovely lady but she's very naive and hasn't a clue what's going on

The number of Likes says it all. Nobody is listening.

You have two chances, none and zero. Perhaps Miriam could spend more time on the cost of living or genocide in Gaza instead of dead cat stories