A lifetime online
The first “social media babies” are turning 13! Their childhoods have been shared online by their families- and they’re not always happy about it. As the babies born since the advent of Facebook become old enough to have their own accounts, should we rethink how much we share about our children?
Most social media platforms have a minimum age limit of
13, but research shows a growing number of children
aged under 13 are using social media, with 3 in 4 children
aged 10-12 having their own accounts.
While much is known about how teenagers use social
media, this research provides the missing piece to the
story, exploring the social media lives of children before
they reach the teenage years. In October and November
2017, we conducted 8 focus groups with 32 children
aged 8-12 to understand the impact of social media on
the wellbeing of this age group.
Don't wrap your device yet!
First things first - set it up. Don't wait until Christmas day. If you have games consoles, do yourself a favour and do the updates first. Plug it in and set them it on the home wifi before Christmas day. Often consoles do a huge update when first turned on and user accounts need to be created. On Christmas day you wont have time as the beers, wine will be ready to drink and the turkey will need attention.
When you set up any devices you will want to manage content (the stuff that you don't want the kids to see), spending, screen time and also see some degree of reporting of their activity.
The use of live streaming platforms by online sex offenders is increasing and there is an urgent need to educate children about the risks associated with this new threat, warn child protection experts.
During a recent week of intensification to tackle child sexual exploitation and abuse, police and NCA operations across the UK safeguarded 245 children and arrested 192 people, 18 of whom were in a position of trust. 30% of those cases involved some of the highest harm offences including live streaming, blackmail and grooming.
It may feel awkward, but it's important to explain to children the risks of sexting, how to stay safe and remind them that they can talk to you if something ever makes them feel scared or uncomfortable.
When your children go to secondary school, there's a big shift in how they use their phones and social media.
One mum felt "overwhelmed" but has found a way to keep her daughter's trust and to keep her daughter safe.
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