{
  "id": 11145816,
  "title": "Erase social media tomorrow? Brits say yes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/erase-social-media-tomorrow-brits-say-yes",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-01T08:29:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Register Science",
    "slug": "the-register-science",
    "url": "https://www.theregister.com/offbeat/2026/10/01/erase-social-media-tomorrow-brits-say-yes/5300109"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent survey has revealed that many Britons believe social media is harmful and would prefer it to vanish from the internet. Opinium Research, a strategic insight agency, polled 2,000 adults and 1,100 parents in May. The findings indicate that 7% of respondents think social media is beneficial, while around one in three suspect life would improve without these platforms. The majority, 42%, view social networks as addictive, and half believe they have become worse for society since 2010. Concerns include the spread of false or misleading information, algorithms dictating content, and the platforms' impact on public debate. Around 60% of those surveyed support fines for social media companies if their platforms expose under-16s to harmful content. Despite the negative sentiments, 49% of people use social media more now than they did 16 years ago, with a third using it even more frequently.",
  "summary": "So why are more and more people snorting their daily fix of cat videos, men fighting and political propaganda",
  "key_points": [
    "7% of respondents believe social media is beneficial.",
    "Around one in three think life would improve without social platforms.",
    "60% support fines for social media companies exposing minors to harmful content."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Register",
        "title": "Erase social media tomorrow? Brits say yes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/erase-social-media-tomorrow-brits-say-yes-11147992",
        "published": "2026-10-01T08:29:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}