'Social media has rewired our brains'

With kids becoming increasingly addicted to online content, teen actor Archie Yates shares his own experience

- WORDS: HANNAH BRITT PHOTOS: HUMPHREY NEMAR

Archie's character explores the dark side of social media in Clout

Last month saw an unprecedented win for a young woman in Los Angeles who sued Meta — owner of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp — and Google, owner of YouTube, over her childhood addiction to social media.

The 20-year-old woman, known as Kayley, was awarded £4.5million after the jury decided the social media giants had intentionally built addictive platforms. Meta and Google said they intended to appeal the verdict.

The case sparked furious debate worldwide, with the NSPCC estimating over 2.5million UK children are accessing social media despite being beneath the minimum age required. And Ofcom and the Information Commissioner's Office recently issued a joint statement that online platforms must implement more effective ways to verify users' ages to prevent under-13s from accessing platforms while beneath minimum age requirements.

In America, parents are sending screen-addicted children - 70 per cent of them boys - to digital detox camps charging $2000 a week. Dr Emily Crosby, child and educational psychologist, says: "Children are particularly at risk of addiction because they have not yet formed their self-identity and look to outside influences to shape and form this."