UK Minister Blames Porn and Video Games
UK Minister Blames Porn and Video Games
This week, the U.K.’s Work and Pensions Secretary, Mel Stride, attributed the “mental health crisis among young men”. Leading to their workforce withdrawal, to “pornography and video games.”
Stride, is a Conservative politician since 2006. He cited adult content to explain alarming official data showing nearly a million Brits aged 16 to 24. They were neither in education, employment, nor training in the first quarter of 2024.
Stride, who has held various positions in three Conservative governments since 2015. Including Lord Commissioner of the Treasury under David Cameron and Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Paymaster General, and Leader of the House of Commons under Theresa May. He was appointed Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in October 2022.
The Sunak administration has faced criticism for inefficiency, and General Elections have been announced for July. Last month, Stride sparked controversy with his harsh comments about cutting financial support for the mentally ill. He is described by the opposition as “a full-on assault on disabled people.”
This week, Stride deflected blame from Conservative policies for this year’s poor employment statistics. Instead pointing to social media and technology. According to The Telegraph, he claimed these factors have caused “a very worrying” rise in mental health issues among young people. This is driving economic inactivity.
Stride suggested that young women’s mental health suffers from “unrealistic ideals” on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. And young men are more affected by “gaming, pornography, and similar factors.”
UK Minister Blames Porn and Video Games
He called for more research into the impact of technology on mental health to address the economic and labor market decline. “As a society, we haven’t fully explored what this technology means for young people’s mental health. The impacts are profound, and more research is needed,” he stated.
The Sunak government, which has struggled to achieve significant political victories since its formation as a compromise choice in late 2022 following the scandal-ridden Boris Johnson government and the brief Liz Truss administration, has one notable success: the 2023 passage of the Online Safety Act. This controversial legislation enforces government censorship of all adult content, deemed “harmful to minors.”
