Should the age limits for social media access be changed?
Currently you have to be 13 to access most social media sites in the UK, including WhatsApp, but there are ways around accessing these sites by changing settings or inputting the wrong date of birth. The UK government is currently exploring raising the age for social media use from 13 to 16. Australia recently enforced a ban on social media for under 16s.
Some campaigners say we should set the legal age for social media access to 16 in the UK to protect children and young people from seeing and accessing harmful content. Whereas, others say it should be up to the parents to decide and not the government. It’s a devisive and complicated subject and a tricky one for parents, carers and young people alike to navigate in an age of smartphones and digital devices.
How to start the conversation with your child
If you are concerned and want to support your child with how they interact with the online world, we suggest the following approaches.
Why do they want to be on social media?
Explore with your child why they want to be on particular social media channels. Ask them what they have covered in school and their experience with friends. Peer pressure is powerful and might be driving their desire to be more active on these sites and apps, but together you might be able to discuss how else they can still feel connected to the world and friends.
Parental access to devices
Get to know their phone or tablet and what they are doing on it. Ask them to share with you their lockscreen password and what apps they use. Google Family Link lets you link your phone to your child’s device to approve app downloads, monitor screen time, and track their location. Apple offers the same through its built-in Parental Controls.
Be curious
Talk to them about the issues you are worried about. Be curious and ask them if they have ever seen inappropriate material, whether anyone has ever messaged them something they don’t like, or if they are worried about anything they have seen online.
Screen time
Think about where they use their phones. Maybe you could agree that phones at home shouldn’t be used in their bedrooms, giving you a chance to be more aware of their use.
Think about limiting screen time – the World Health Organistion recommends a 2 hour daily limit for any young person up to 17.
Role model
If you want your child to spend less time on their phone or not have their phone in their room, then role model this by doing it yourself. We can all get pulled into our phones and as adults we do use them for different things, but our children look to us to show them the way.
Further support and advice on social media
- The NSPCC shares a whole range of online safety resources.
- Young Minds has some great advice if you have any concerns about your child’s mental health.