Ofcom’s annual research on children’s digital activity has revealed that almost one in four children between the ages of five and seven now own a smartphone. Additionally, the study showed that the percentage of children using messaging services has risen from 59% to 65%. The number of children active on social media has also increased from 30% to 38%. Furthermore, over half of children under 13 were using social media, despite most platforms having age restrictions. The figures serve as a warning to the industry to do more to protect children, as the regulator stated parental rule enforcement is decreasing.
Most children’s phones are provided by their parents, who often give them to their children to keep tabs on their whereabouts or to be able to contact them. Conversely, children’s use of their phones is not always legitimate. The vast majority of children knowingly flout age restrictions imposed by social media platforms, and some parents feel compelled to allow their children onto these apps. Campaigners are therefore calling for age limits to be imposed on smartphone use, as well as stricter age requirements for social media usage.
Mark Bunting of Ofcom’s online safety group highlighted the challenge of preventing children under 13 from using social media sites, given the platforms’ popularity, but added that companies are under legal obligation to ensure children’s safety on their platforms. The study showed that parents are less willing to enforce the necessary rules, with only a third of parents being aware of the correct age restrictions for social media sites.
There are calls for companies to design child safety measures into devices from the outset. Professor Sonia Livingstone, Director of the Digital Futures for Children Centre, believes that it is wrong to protect children by limiting their access to technology, stating that it is the first generation with access to a personal computer. By contrast, the report shows that many parents are resigned to their children’s online lives being outside their control
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