Thousands of parents are urging action to protect children online.
More than 1500 parents in Northern Ireland have contacted MPs in just 36 hours, calling for the minimum age for social media use to be raised to 16.
The campaign is part of a wider effort that saw more than 100,000 letters from Smartphone Free Childhood supporters sent to MPs across the UK in under two days.
Central to their calls is a proposed amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
If passed, it would set a legal minimum age of 16 for social media use.
The bill is currently before the House of Lords with a debate expected in the coming days.
The campaign is supported by Smartphone Free Childhood, an organisation advocating for delayed smartphone and social media use among children.
Joanna Karlic, Northern Ireland regional leader for Smartphone Free Childhood, said: “Parents in Northern Ireland are sending a very clear message.
“This isn’t about party politics – it’s about protecting children from addictive, algorithm-driven platforms and making it easier for families to hold the line, together.
“When thousands of parents act at the same time, MPs listen.”
Parents from across the political spectrum are contacting MPs including Claire Hanna (SDLP), Gavin Robinson (DUP), and Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance).
Supporters argue that a clear legal age limit would help reset social norms, making it easier for parents to set boundaries and lessen pressure on children to join platforms that were never created with childhood in mind.
The speed and volume of the campaign have also caught the attention of MPs.
Joe Ryrie, co-founder of Smartphone Free Childhood, said: “The scale and speed of this response shows just how strongly parents and the wider public feel about this issue.
“Families from every part of the country are saying the same thing: childhood needs stronger protections from global platforms built to maximise attention and profit – and parents need greater support from the government.”
Many parents involved in the campaign have already chosen to delay their children’s use of smartphones and social media.
However, campaigners argue that without clear government guidance, it has become increasingly difficult for parents to “hold the line”.
They are calling on ministers to provide practical support to help parents stand their ground.
The UK debate comes amid a wider international movement to raise the social media age limit.
In December, Australia became the first country to set a national, enforceable minimum age of 16 for social media use.
Other countries, including France, Spain, Denmark, Norway, and Malaysia, are advancing proposals to strengthen age limits and parental consent for children online.
This global momentum, campaigners say, has helped push the issue onto the UK parliamentary agenda and created what they describe as “a rare opportunity for action”.
Across the UK, political support for the proposal is growing.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has expressed openness to an Australia-style age limit, while senior Labour figures including Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham have voiced their support.
The Conservative Party has also said it would implement the policy if elected.
Teaching unions such as the National Education Union and NASUWT have publicly backed raising the minimum age for social media to 16.
While the campaign is gaining political traction, supporters emphasise that it is not a party-political issue.
Instead, they say it reflects widespread parental concern about the effects of social media on children’s wellbeing, mental health, and development.
The letter-writing campaign was launched as the policy debate accelerated in Westminster.
MPs have reportedly received so many emails that some initially suspected an AI bot, only to realise the messages were from parents in their constituencies.
With Parliament expected to vote on the issue in both Houses, campaigners believe the public response has delivered a message MPs “cannot ignore”.