The government has launched a consultation on children’s social media use as part of a raft of new measures to make children safer online.
Aiming to deliver a safer ‘digital childhood’, the government has opened a “swift, 3-month consultation” on a range of proposed measures to help ensure children have a healthy relationship with smartphones and social media.
These include restrictions on addictive features, a proposed ban on social media access for children and better age checks.
Lords vote to ban social media for under-16s
The consultation was opened shortly before the House of Lords backed a motion to ban under-16s in the UK from using social media platforms.
An amendment to the government’s schools bills was voted through by 261 votes to 150, supported by opposition peers including Lord Nash, who branded children’s social media use as a “societal catastrophe.”
The amendment gives the government a year to determine which social media platforms should be made unavailable to children under the age of 16, with companies then being forced to implement “highly effective” age checks to prevent access.
The government has indicated that it will try to overturn this amendment in the House of Commons, while its consultation on a potential ban and other social media safety measures continues.
Some campaigners and children’s charities, such as the NSPCC and the Mental Health Foundation, have already spoken out against an outright ban, warning that it could lead to “unintended consequences.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it was a “complex issue” which is why the government wants to run the consultation and gather evidence, insight and opinion before enforcing a ban, or other safety measures.
But online safety campaigner, Baroness Kidron, another peer supporting the ban, argued the consultation could become the “playground of the tech lobbyist.”
Meanwhile, Labour peer Lord Knight of Weymouth warned that an outright ban on social media for children could push them towards “less regulated platforms.”
The government’s consultation will assess the merits of a total ban on social media use for under-16s while also considering a range of other measures to make the online world safer for children and young people.
Schools to be ‘phone-free by default’
It comes alongside immediate action, such as Ofsted inspectors checking that mobile phone bans are being properly enforced in schools, with tougher and clearer guidance being provided for headteachers.
This guidance states that pupils should not have access to their devices during lessons, break times, lunch times or between lessons. Staff are also expected to lead by example and not use their own devices for personal reasons in front of pupils.
This means schools are now expected to be “phone-free by default,” following the announcements, made last week (19th January).
Ofsted inspectors will check schools’ mobile phone policies and how effectively they are implemented and any schools that are struggling will receive one-to-one support from Attendance and Behaviour Hub schools that are already effectively implementing bans on mobile phones.
The majority of schools already have mobile phone policies in place, but data suggests that 58% of secondary school pupils reported mobile phones being used without permission in lessons, rising to almost two thirds (65%) for Key Stage 4 pupils.
Screen-time and social media guidance for parents
Guidance is also being produced for parents. The government will provide evidence-based screen time guidance specifically for parents and carers of children aged 5 to 16, in addition to guidance for parents of under-fives, which is set to be published in April.
The consultation is part of a ‘national conversation with parents’ about children’s use of technology, which will be backed by events as part of a nationwide tour commencing imminently.
It aims to gather views from parents, young people and civil society, with the government’s response due in the summer.
The proposals are part of the government’s plan to better protect children and young people’s wellbeing online, building on the world-leading Online Safety Act to ensure safer online experiences.
A government press release confirmed they also formed part of the government’s “broader action to ensure every child gets the best start in life, including a revised curriculum and better skills training.”
Proposals to increase child safety on social media
The suggested measures to protect children from the harms of social media include:
- A social media ban for children under a certain age
- Raising the digital age of consent
- Improving the accuracy of age assurance for children to support the enforcement of minimum age limits
- Implementing phone curfews to avoid excessive use
- Restricting potentially addictive design features such as ‘streaks’ and ‘infinite scrolling’
- Further interventions to support parents, such as simpler parental controls
Ministers will consider guidance from around the world. This includes visiting Australia, which has already implemented a social media ban for children. They will look at how this approach works in Australia, considering whether it could be effective in the UK.
Delivering a safer online world for children
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the Online Safety Act had provided “clear, concrete steps to deliver a safer online world for our children and young people,” but that the government’s mission didn’t end there.
Acknowledging that “parents still have serious concerns,” she added:
“Technology has huge potential – to create jobs, transform public services, and improve lives. But we will only seize on that potential if people know they and their children are safe online.
“We are determined to ensure technology enriches children’s lives, not harms then – and to give every child the childhood they deserve.”
The Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the government were providing “tougher guidance and stronger enforcement” to ensure that schools are phone-free environments – “No ifs, no buts.”
Meanwhile, the Chief Inspector of Ofsted, Sir Martyn Oliver, said that headteachers now have “the backing” to ban mobile phones in schools, and added:
“They chip away at children’s attention span, distract from learning and can be detrimental to children’s wellbeing.”
Other actions to better protect children online include making cyberflashing a priority offence, actively removing content encouraging serious self-harm and plans to ban AI ‘nudification’ tools, while also working to stop children being able to take, share or view nude images on their devices.
Social media ban for children presents opportunities and risks
Leading public health charity, the Mental Health Foundation, has responded to the government’s announcements, including proposals to limit social media by age, saying these present both opportunities and risks.
Their Chief Executive, Mark Rowland, said:
“Change is needed to re-balance power in favour of users and greater accountability of social media companies when users are exploited or harmed. For too long, young people have been exposed to harmful material that is damaging their mental health and has resulted in self-harm and suicide.
“A ban on social media use for under-16s has potential but also carries risks.
“If a ban effectively reduced children’s exposure to harmful content, protected them from addictive algorithms and reduced commercial pressures on children, we could support it.
“However, there are challenges in implementation and risks of unintended consequences. We have concerns a ban could block vulnerable children from seeking help and accessing supportive online communities, or drive them to riskier online spaces. We must review the emerging evidence from Australia.
“Social media is not a single entity and another option is considering individual age limits for sites that takes into account the risk associated with their content.
“In addition, the Online Safety Act contains many powers for keeping children safe online, and can be strengthened further. All options should be considered as part of this review and we will continue to work with policy makers, parents and young people to fight for mental health protections.”
Safeguarding children
First Response Training (FRT) is a leading national training provider delivering courses in subjects such as health and safety, first aid, fire safety, manual handling, food hygiene, mental health, health and social care, safeguarding and more.
They work with a large number of early years and childcare providers, as well as schools, colleges, and children’s services. Their courses include Safeguarding Children.
A trainer from FRT says:
“Safeguarding children means protecting them off and online. It’s so important that we are mindful of the harms they could be exposed to online and that there are mechanisms in place to protect them, and to offer them help and support when they need it most.”
For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.