Shocking! A third of 5-7-year-olds use social media unsupervised

With around a quarter of 5-7-year-olds now owning a smartphone and three-quarters of the same age group using a tablet, shouldn’t Ofcom be calling on parents to tackle the issue rather than simply relying on Big Tech and AI to do so?

One can only imagine what prompts parents to provide 5-7-year-olds with a smartphone, but they must have taken leave of their senses.

How can they fail to appreciate the role of traditional books, colouring books, building blocks, tactile toys, and interactive physical play can have on raising bright, alert, inquisitive minds whilst ignoring the very real downsides of whatever the child spends time doing (whether online or offline) in the company of a smart phone or tablet?

New Offcom study reveals a shocking insight into young children’s online world

In the ever-evolving landscape of children’s online activities, the recent study conducted by Ofcom highlights notable shifts in the behavior and preferences of 5 to 7-year-olds, as well as older children aged 8 to 17, shedding light on the significant increase in their online presence compared to the previous year.

That second age range (8-17) is unhelpful given the huge differences between what one might consider to be acceptable online behavior for, say, 15-17-year-olds vs. kids as young as 8-11 or even 12-14. Statistics and studies are supposed to be presented with clarity and an age range stretching between 8 and 17 is unhelpful.

5-7-year-olds using live streams, WhatsApp, TikTok, and Insta is a huge red flag

Among 5 to 7-year-olds, there has been a marked increase in online activities. A higher percentage of this age group now go online to send messages or make voice/video calls (59% to 65%).

Furthermore, there has been a surge in the number of children tuning in to watch live-streamed content (39% to 50%).

Social media usage among this age group has seen an overall increase (30% to 38%), with platforms such as WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, and Discord witnessing substantial growth.

Interestingly, online gaming among 5 to 7-year-olds has significantly risen to 41% from 34%, with more children in this age bracket engaging in “shooter games” than ever before.

32% of 5-7 year olds use social media independently

The Ofcom report reveals that parents’ approach to their children’s online presence has shifted.

While about two in five parents engage in social media activities with their 5 to 7-year-olds, a significant proportion (32%) report that their children use social media independently.

The willingness of parents to allow their children to have social media profiles before reaching the minimum required age has increased (30%, up from 25%).

A third (32%) of 8 to 17-year-olds say they have seen something worrying or nasty online in the last 12 months, but only 20% of parents of this age group report their child telling them they had seen something online that scared or upset them in the same time frame.

More protection is on its way

Additionally, the report highlights an upcoming consultation by Ofcom on the draft Children’s Safety Code of Practice and a subsequent one on how automated detection tools, including AI, can be used to mitigate the risk of illegal harms and content most harmful to children.

This is a proactive step in an attempt to ensure children’s safety in the online world.

The research also delves into broader behavioural trends. For example, children aged 8 to 17 who use social media are significantly more likely to do so passively by ‘liking’ or ‘following’ other accounts (44%) rather than being active users who share, comment, or post content (28%).

Girls are favoring ‘soothing’ sensory videos, while older teens find it harder to distinguish the real from the fake online.

The comprehensive report underscores the need for a multifaceted approach to protect children online, combining parental guidance, educational efforts, and regulatory measures.

Parents can lead the way!

One way to ensure that your child grows up with a healthy attitude to the online world is to ensure that you practise control in your own use of technology, social media, and messenger apps.

It’s easy to fall into addictive behaviours and tech companies deliberately design their products to hook users onto their platforms and ensure they remain online for as long as possible and return as frequently as possible.

Getting help with your overuse of tech, social media, and messenger apps is the first step in protecting your child from emulating you.

Further reading

• Find out how to quit tech/smart phone addiction with Allen Carr’s Easyway
• Read the Ofcom piece