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How do children, young people and parents feel about the impact of smartphones and social media?
Created: 20/11/2024
News/Events Category: Children and Families
For many young people being online and using technology is just a part of life. Schools give out homework that has to be submitted on an app, extracurricular activities are managed on WhatsApp groups, and spending time with friends means keeping up a steady Snapchat exchange. But stories about the risks of smartphones and social media are in the news every week. How do children and parents feel about balancing being online with legitimate concerns about safety and wellbeing? Find out what they said…
Owning a smartphone
- Children felt they should be able to access the online world before they become adults, so they can learn how to use smartphones and digital experiences safely.
- They felt smartphones played an important role in their lives, allowing them to stay connected, check travel times and have fun. One said, "If something happens, I’ll probably know about it by looking at my phone and checking for a message, not by someone coming and telling it to me."
- Phones felt crucial for their safety, allowing them to contact family in emergency situations and when travelling independently. Some shared "My phone is my safety."
- They felt banning devices wasn’t a suitable solution to managing the risks as it would just encourage secrecy. One said "You would create an entire black market for phones. I have a laptop I can access any social media platform on there."
- Some felt that children would benefit from having phones with limited capability before owning smartphones.
- Children reflected that they did find it helpful when their parent/carer put restrictions on their first phone such as by adding parental controls and preventing access to age-inappropriate games or apps, even if they hadn’t felt this way at the time.
- Some autistic children shared that it can be easier to communicate by text. One shared "I like pause and stutter and do weird things. You don’t have to do that through texts."
Access to social media
- Children felt that the current world "Revolves around social media and being online." This meant they would miss out on opportunities, including learning, if they were not given access.
- They felt "Social media plays a huge role in communication and that it’s essential for young people to be able to connect, build and nurture relationships."
- Children felt that the world had changed and is not like it was when their parents were young. With everything being online, they felt limiting access would be hard to enforce.
- Children recognised that not all content they see on social media was good and described some as ‘brain rot’ content which holds no value to them.
- Children shared concerns about online hate accounts and forums targeting individuals and sharing racial slurs and emojis.
- Young people shared feeling disappointed when they report to platforms and no action is taken. One said "We’ve reported it, we’re handed it to you on a plate…it’s your responsibility to make sure this kind of stuff doesn’t happen on your platform."
Impact of technology on mental health and wellbeing
- Children felt this was a growing issue but didn’t feel social media was always the root cause. One said, "It’s the other people on social media that exacerbates the issues you already have."
- Young people felt that social media and online advertising can impact on how they feel about themselves and what choices they make. They are concerned about the pressure it puts on girls in particular to look a certain way but also recognised pressure created by, for example, online skin care tutorials promoting damaging products.
- Some autistic young people told us that being online is often the only thing to do. One said, "The area I live doesn’t have much so I’m stuck inside with not much to do except play games and go on the internet."
- Some children felt the online world was ‘too important to deny access to for children’ and felt that ‘safety concerns can be handled and prevented.’
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