It is not likely to increase their popularity at home.
The Children’s Commissioner has urged that parents refrain from purchasing smartphones for their children and instead stay with older devices that lack internet connection.
Dame Rachel de Souza cautioned against the risks of social media, citing the suicide of 14-year-old Molly Russell after she was besieged with self-harm and suicide content.
She told The Sunday Telegraph, “I believe that parents should carefully consider allowing their children monitored access to social media or any access at all.”
I feel firmly that we must be cautious and manage this situation.
Dame Rachel also urged governments to demonstrate’moral purpose’ and support the passage of the long-awaited Online Safety Bill.
She said, “I truly believe that in twenty years, we will look back and be totally horrified by what we exposed our children to.”
Dame Rachel spoke to the online experience of children as “the crisis of our time” and stated her support for the proposed Online Safety Bill.
We must seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect children’s safety online and in the digital environment. She stated that nothing should stand in the way of supporting online child safety and returning the bill.
Dame Rachel cofounded the Inspiration Trust, which operates a number of schools in East Anglia, in 2012, becoming one of the youngest chief executive officers of a multi-academy trust.