Ofcom: Almost a quarter of kids aged 5-7 have smartphones
www.bbc.com
The regulator calls the data a "wake up call", and says parents and industry need to do more.

Nearly a quarter of UK five-to-seven-year-olds now have their own smartphone, Ofcom research suggests.

Social media use also rose in the age group over last year with nearly two in five using messaging service WhatsApp, despite its minimum age of 13.

The communications regulator warned parental enforcement of rules “appeared to be diminishing.”

It also said the figures should be a “wake up call” for the industry to do more to protect children.

In its annual study of children’s relationship with the media and online worlds, Ofcom said the percentage of children aged between five and seven who used messaging services had risen from 59% to 65%.

The number on social media went up from 30% to 38%, while for livestreams it increased from 39% to 50%. Just over 40% are reported to be gaming online - up from 34% the year before.

Over half of children under 13 used social media, contrary to most of the big platforms’ rules, and many admitted to lying to gain access to new apps and services.

  • Dark Arc@social.packetloss.ggEnglish
    0·
    7 months ago

    I grew up with stranger danger … and honestly fuck that philosophy. I do not support normalizing invasive surveillance and restricting the Internet in the name of “safety.”

    Yes, there are bad people in the world but there are also a lot of good people. It’s better to teach people what to look out for and to keep an open line of communication and trust vs “this is the great firewall of our house” and scaring them away from any and all strangers.

    The people I grew up with that have the most issues as adults have come from the most authoritarian, paranoid, (and typically religious) households by far.