The UK government plans to test digital curfews, app time limits, and social media prohibitions in the homes of hundreds of teenagers, in a bid to regulate social media use among children.
To compare their experiences, 300 teenagers will have their social media apps completely banned, blocked overnight, or limited to 1 hour of use; some will experience no changes at all.
It’s about “testing different options in the real world,” according to Technology Secretary Liz Kendall. “These pilots will give us the evidence we need to take the next steps, informed by the experiences of families themselves,” she added.
Participants will be questioned about how it affects their sleep, home life, and academic performance.
They will also be quizzed about the practical challenges they faced, such as the ability to set up parental controls or “workarounds that the teenagers may find to bypass them”.
In addition to the support of some activists and children’s charities, such a move has broad political support, with nations like France, Spain, and Indonesia also considering adopting Australia’s ban.
Some experts are more dubious, cautioning that such limitations might be readily evaded or drive kids to more dangerous areas of the internet. Therefore, some people think that rather than just prohibiting children from using their services, computer companies should make them safer.
The NSPCC’s associate head of child safety online policy, Rani Govender, stated that while the organization applauded the government’s efforts to protect youth online, it must also be prepared to take “decisive action” once its pilot program is over.
“This must include ensuring tech companies build safety into every device, platform, and AI tool so children do not see harmful or illegal content and can only use age-appropriate services,” she said to the BBC.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah