Parents should not be only ones to ensure children stay safe online – watchdog

Parents and children should not be left to shoulder the burden of staying safe online alone, the children’s commissioner said.

Tech companies must take more responsibility for creating safe platforms by design, Dame Rachel de Souza has said, after prime minister Sir Keir Starmer vowed to “fight” social media companies to protect children.

It comes after the Government issued guidance advising parents of young children to limit screen time for children aged two to five to one hour a day, and less if possible.

For children under two, screen time should be avoided unless there are shared activities that encourage children to interact with others; Advice was also given to parents.

“I’ve spoken to thousands of families and I’m concerned that many very young children are being exposed to screens for longer than the emerging evidence tells us is healthy,” Dame Rachel said.

“For a small but significant group of children, this use goes well beyond what is currently recommended, manifesting as disrupted sleep, less interaction with parents or siblings, difficulty paying attention, or other effects on their early development.”

The children’s commissioner added that the new guidance “is not about making parents feel guilty”.

“It aims to give parents more confidence in setting boundaries that will best support their children, not shame them into acting out,” he said.

The government is also currently consulting on how to protect children under 16 online; This could include an Australian-style social media ban or measures such as time limits and curfew.

Visiting a school in south London, Sir Keir said: “Some of it is going to take a fight. If we’re going to do more to protect children, we’re going to have to fight some of the platforms that are putting these addictive things out there because they’re putting these addictive things there for a reason.”

“They want more kids to spend more time online, and we have to fight them and make it clear whose side we are on here.”

“Parents and children should not be left to shoulder this burden alone; tech companies must take greater responsibility for creating platforms that are safe by design to ensure young users are protected on their platforms,” ​​Dame Rachel said.

“Ultimately, I hope that children’s safety, by tackling online dangers, will be at the center of this evolving debate, not simply barring children from the real-world experiences that make up modern childhood and thinking that is enough to protect them.”

New guidance on screen time for young children advises families to avoid fast-paced, social media-style videos and toys or gadgets that use artificial intelligence (AI), and to keep bedtime and mealtimes screen-free.

The guidance was developed by a panel led by children’s commissioner and child health expert Professor Russell Viner.

Prof Viner, a paediatrician and professor at University College London, said he would next like to see the Government issue more specific advice to parents about what is really good content for their children to see.

“What we’re recommending is for the Government to provide better guidance for educators on what is good content and what is bad, because there is so much educational content out there making all kinds of claims that can be confusing for parents,” he told the Press Association.

Prof Viner said prolonged screen viewing without interactive interaction “eliminates” things important for young children’s development, such as sleep and physical activity.

It also appears to have an impact on children’s language development, he added.

The government has previously said that around 98% of children watch screens every day by the age of two, and those with the highest screen time are seeing an impact on their language.

Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, education minister Josh MacAlister said “childhood has been completely restructured” over the last decade due to social media and screen time.

“We’re really trying to help create some new social norms for parents of young children,” he said.

“There’s no judgment. These things are much easier said than done, I appreciate it.”

A jury in Los Angeles on Wednesday indicted Google, which owns YouTube; and Meta, which runs Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp; created platforms to engage young users without considering their well-being.

Sir Keir told reporters on Thursday he was keen to tackle addictive features on social media.

Prof Viner said evidence from Australia and a hearing into different restrictions would help the UK decide how to protect young people.

“We definitely need to do something to limit teenagers’ exposure to harmful content, because that’s the real problem,” he said.

“I definitely support thinking about how we can get social media companies to design pro-development things through design.”